


Personality Crisis - The Furminator

by DoomFox



Series: The Furminator [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Brothers, Horror, Mental Breakdown, Other, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomFox/pseuds/DoomFox
Summary: After a scavenging trip to an abandoned Robotnik facility turns up disturbing information on the individual known as Miles Prower, things will never be the same.
Series: The Furminator [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916743
Comments: 29
Kudos: 88





	1. Flesh and Metal

**Author's Note:**

> A little fic I came up with after watching a particular favourite classic science fiction movie. 
> 
> Marked for horror, nothing too disturbing but just in case.

"Tails?"

Sonic tentatively entered his brother's workshop, as though walking on eggshells, the yellow fox leaning over a workbench with his back to him. His ears were drooped, twin tails slumped to the floor lifelessly, and blue eyes stared vacantly down at the workbench. Not a muscle moved. Not a strand of fur wavered. In this pose, Sonic's brother appeared more like a mannequin than a living creature.

A sharp pain spiked through the hedgehog's chest, as he realised how accurate the observation might be.

He slowly approached the unmoving yellow fox, gently reaching out to touch his shoulder. The flesh tensed beneath his touch, but the fox remained otherwise still.

"Tails?" Sonic repeated, as softly as he could manage. "Are... you okay?"

A stupid question. There was no way Miles could be okay. Not after the information they had retrieved from the abandoned Robotnik base.

Not after learning everything he knew - everything he was, was a lie.

The fox swallowed nervously. "How long have we known each other, Sonic?" His voice was barely a whisper. His blue eyes remained unfocused, ungloved fingers digging into the wooden bench. 

Sonic did the math. He had met Tails when the fox was eight, and he was fifteen.

"Four years," the hedgehog replied, giving his brother a weak smile. "Remember you followed me back to the Tornado? And you thought it was the coolest thing you'd ever seen? And then you showed me you could fly almost as fast as I can run, and-"

"Sonic..." Tails cut him off, vacant blue eyes slowly turning to Sonic's green. He slowly removed a data pad from a pouch on his hip, and held it pointedly. "I... I was...." _activated_ "Deployed hours before we met... HOURS, Sonic... Do you know what that means? "

Sonic thought he understood what Miles was getting at, yet calmly squeezed his brother's shoulder.

"It's okay, Miles. I know. But you don't have to be scared, I'm here to-"

 _"Scared? SCARED?!?"_ The fox violently jerked away from the blue hedgehog, panic descending over his face as blue eyes filled with fear. _"I'm four years old, Sonic!! FOUR YEARS!!! All of my memories, my parents, my life... Everything, all of it, NONE OF IT WAS REAL!!!! I'M NOT...."_

The fox stumbled away, raising the data pad in his hand and tapping at the screen. Fear gripped his form as he absorbed the information for the hundredth time since downloading it from the abandoned lab's barely functioning servers.

He threw the pad with disgust toward Sonic, who deftly caught it in one hand.

"Look at it!" 

"Miles, I already know what it says..."

_"JUST LOOK AT IT!!!"_

Reluctantly, dreadfully, Sonic looked down to the information on the illuminated pad.

_Robotnik Infiltration Unit prototype model Alpha Zero-One. Registry RIU-A01_

_Personality Imprint - Miles Prower  
Age - Eight  
Species - Mobian, Fox  
Gender - Male_

_Mission parameters:  
Observe activities of Sonic, Hedgehog The.  
Relay information to Robotnik command.  
Maintain cover at all costs.  
Eliminate threats if necessary._

There was other information, including the unit's abilities and other myriad details. But most glaringly, upon swiping another page, two detailed diagrams of the infiltration unit stood side by side. One displayed the familiar gold and white form of Sonic's brother and best friend, a blank expression on a lifeless face.

The other... Sonic wouldn't look at. He refused to look into the lidless, artificial glare of those blue eyes.

"Artificially manufactured organic tissue..." The Fox's voice shook as he ran his hands over the fur and flesh of his arms, "Over mechanical exoskeleton..." His eyes were dilated with terror. " Fascinating... fascinating technology... "

Sonic flicked off the data pad and threw it to the ground with a clatter. He refused to believe this. It was a mistake, a misunderstanding, an Eggman plot to screw with their heads. But Tails was convinced, and was freaking the hell out.

Sonic stepped forward to console his quivering fox brother. "Miles..."

_"Don't touch me!"_ the fox skipped away from the hedgehog, hands raised defensively and terror in his eyes. _"Don't come near me!!"_

"Tails?!" sonic paused, frightened for his brother. " I'm not gonna hurt you! I just wanna help... "

"Hurt me?!" The fox squealed with sudden horrified laughter. "Hurt _me?!_ did you read that thing?! _You_ need to stay away from _me_ Sonic, for your own safety!"

Sonic, heartbroken at his brother's distress, held his hands out, pleading. 

"Miles... You're my best friend... My freaking brother... I don't care what that stupid report says, I _know_ you..."

Miles stared at him through tears.

Tears. Machines shouldn't be able to cry.

"Get out." The fox whispered. "Please..."

"No." Sonic set his jaw and took a step forward. "I won't leave you..."

_"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!"_

An orange fist slammed into the nearby workbench. Thick wood cracked and splintered with an impact that should have shattered every bone in the hand.

The brothers stared at one another across the workshop. Tails jaw flapped open in horror, before he turned and bolted.

"Miles!!"

The slam of a door was Sonic's only reply as Tails retreated into his living space.

sonic thought he should follow, but decided against it. The... fox... needed space right now. Anyone would if they were faced with a discovery like this.

The hedgehog winced as the image of a leering chrome skull with staring blue eyes flashed in his mind. He squelched the thought. That wasn't his brother. No way.

"I'll be here, Tails..." The hedgehog muttered. Reluctantly, he left the workshop and set himself on the ground outside, ready to sit and wait until his brother was ready to come to him.

..............................................

"Fascinating technology... Fascinating... Fascinating ..."

The fox repeated the phrase over and over, hissing to himself, arms clasped around his knees while he rocked back and forth on the floor of his room.

Sonic might not believe it, but Miles knew. Even now, just from exposure to the knowledge, he could feel parts of his mind lighting up that hadn't been there before. Memories. Images. Algorithms. Information pooling in the dark areas of his... Brain... Like he was waking from a very long dream.

Or like a long-dormant computer program was rebooting itself.

"Not real, not real..." the fox muttered. "Im a toaster... "

Sudden hilarity bubbled in his chest, and before he knew it, he was rolling on the floor in a fit of maniacal giggles. 

"A toaster!! _A toaster!!!_ " He cackled with glee, a huge stupid smile on his face, horrified tears spilling from his muzzle to spatter on the floor. 

The giggles mixed with screams, and Miles realised he was losing his grip on sanity.

It didn't matter. He didn't care. He wasn't real, wasn't alive, just a machine...

Something snapped inside the fox-boy's mind. Suddenly he was trapped, buried alive, encased by a prison of flesh and blood and sweat and fur.

The flesh wrapping around the infiltration unit's face split into a demented grin, blue eyes swivelling madly, as it unsteadily crawled to its feet. The scientist inside was suddenly filled with the need to know. To observe. To _see._

The 'fox' gathered tools and equipment as mad thoughts tumbled around its brain, the programming inside threatening to consume the implanted personality known as Miles 'Tails ' Prower.

"Don't believe, Sonic?!" It cackled , "I'll make you believe..."

..............................................

"Ugh... wait, wha'?!"

Sonic snorted himself awake, still leaning against the wooden structure of Tails' workshop. He raised an arm as sunlight dazzled his eyes. Morning. Damn, he'd fallen asleep... stupid! What if Tails had needed him in the night...

He yawned. Thought he caught a whiff of something burning.

Sonic brushed himself off as he stood, his usually well-groomed blue fur ragged and dirty from sleeping outside. He hoped his brother hadn't done anything... rash.

He could swear he could smell _something_.

Sonic stretched as he headed back inside the workshop. He wondered how they were going to figure this situation out. Maybe he should call Shadow. 

Entering the workspace, Sonic instantly knew something was very wrong.

A smell... Like burned flesh... singed fur... ozone... The stink of fuel... smoke lightly drifted in the air. He swallowed nervously. It was horribly quiet.

"Tails?" The hedgehog croaked, choking on the stench, tentatively stepping through the workshop. His eyes flicked over the red hull of the Tornado.

Funny. It was missing one of its forward blaster weapons.

"You in here, buddy?"

A sound. Like steel against stone. He almost jumped from his skin.

_"So... nic..."_

A giggling voice echoed from nearby, like a child playing hide and seek. Sonic's heart pounded in his ears and his quills reflexively stiffened.

"Tails? Buddy?" Sonic's eyes scanned the workshop, flickering over a myriad of spare parts and machinery. His brother was here somewhere. 

"Miles, come on! We need to talk about... things..."

_"You want to talk, Sonic?"_

Definitely his brother's voice. But something was horribly _off._

"You're... starting to scare me, Miles..." 

The voice giggled again, as though teasing. 

_"You haven't seen me yet, Sonic..."_

_Clack. Clack. Clack._

Sonic was now rooted to the ground. He thought he saw movement at the edge of his vision, near the Tornado. A glint of chrome. A flash of blue.

The hedgehog 's heart was in his mouth as the sound of movement continued, metal scraping against concrete steadily tapping... like... footsteps.

No.

_Clack. Clack. Clack._

Please no.

"Miles....?" Sonic's voice was barely audible as fear for his brother paralysed him. The glare of bare steel beneath workshop lights struck his vision.

Sonic hoped he was imagining things, hoped he was wrong, hoped this was just another invention slapped together by a stressed yellow fox unable to sleep during the-

His blood ran cold. An ice pick pierced his chest. Both hands raised to his face and he did everything in his power to not scream.

......................................

A metallic, skeletal form, gleaming beneath the workshop lights, limped from the depths of the workshop.

Thin, piston-like limbs, driven by rubbery musculature, shakily carried the machine across the workshop floor. Steel claws flexed arthritically. Twin spiny tails whipped like snakes. Pulsating artificial organs beat behind a hardened steel ribcage, above a flexible lower torso. Rubbery black lungs, quivering as they inhaled and exhaled, trailed upward into a snaking artificial oesophahus that wound through a flexible metallic neck.

Atop panelled, thinly-armoured shoulders, glowing blue eyes stared out from a fleshless, grinning skull-face, pupils dilating beneath the gleaming smooth crown of the earless chrome skull.

The machine giggled like a demented child, lidless glowing blue eyes staring at the blue hedgehog.

_"Hi, Sonic!!"_ The machine cackled, Tails' voice reverberating artificially, and spread its spindly metallic arms wide. _"It's me! Your best friend!!"_

...........................................

Sonic couldn't reply, couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. All He could do was stare in terror at the skeletal machine as it circled him with fluid, organic movements.

_"Well what do you think?!"_ The thing went on, grinning lipless teeth flapping open as his brother's voice reverberated from artificial vocal chords. The blue eyes glowed madly, flickering with red. _"Of the real me?!?"_

"Miles... " sonic fought to speak, nausea clamming up his throat, "what... did you do to yourself..."

 _"HA!"_ The machine spat, lidless eyeballs swivelling in their chrome sockets, _"the organic tissue was false! a facade! I burned it... Vaporized it!!! Now there's no pretending, Sonic! No more lies!! Now everyone can see what I truly am!!!"_

Sonic was getting the idea that his brot... this _thing..._ had very little grip on sanity.

He swallowed. He had to stay calm.

"W... why?"

The machine just grinned, beneath eyes that screamed torment.

_"Incredible technology! I'm an engineer, Sonic! The best on Mobius! How could I resist? Had to observe! Had to see for myself! This thing?"_

The machine gestured drunkenly toward the heavily modified red biplane that was Tails' pride and joy. Blue eyes glared at the aircraft.

_"This is nothing! compared to the sophistication of my... of this unit's... design... "_

Steel claws ran over the exposed chrome ribcage, artificial organs convulsing beneath. The glowing blue eyes flickered red.

_"Primitive!"_ The machine giggled as the claws curled into fists.

Without warning, like a piledriver, the machine began to lay into the red plane with powerful blows that were belied by it's short, skeletal frame. Sonic flinched back as metal bent and tore and screeched while Tails' voice screamed.

_"PRIMITIVE! PRIMITIVE!! PRIMITIVE!!!"_

Sonic didn't know what he was doing, but he had to do something... if this machine... if Tails was _in there..._ then his brother was suffering and needed help. 

Sonic, despite all instincts and better judgement, began to approach the raging machine with hands outstretched.

"Tails... TAILS!!"

In an instant, at Sonic's tone, the destruction stopped. The machine's arms slumped, steel shoulders hiking up and down in an imitation of fatigue, cordlike tails slashing like whips.

"Tails?" Sonic gently lay a hand on a mechanical shoulder, knowing full well that if it - if he - so desired, Tails could break him in half judging by the damage done to the Tornado. He didn't care. He had to try. "Miles?"

The bare steel skull swivelled towards him. The blue eyes were gone. Instead, glowing red orbs regarded the hedgehog with curiosity.

_"Sonic. Hedgehog. Male."_ The machine spoke matter-of -factly, Tails' voice flat and monotone. _"Designation - objective. Alternate designation... Brother?"_

But for a slight flicker of emotion at the end of the query, it was as though there was nothing left of the cheerful yellow fox Sonic called his brother.

He refused to believe that.

"Miles?" Sonic gently turned the machine to face him and set both hands on steel shoulders. "You're in there somewhere, buddy... come back to me, okay?"

The machine cocked its head quizzically, red eyes dilating. 

_"Miles. Prower. Fox. Male. Personality subroutine of Robotnik Infiltration Unit designated RIU-Alpha. Zero. One. Alternate designation... processing... 'Tails.'"_

"That's right!" Sonic gave the shoulders a light shake, tears welling in his eyes as he desperately tried to get through to this... Freaking _skeleton_ his brother had become. "That's you, buddy! Please.... Don't you remember?"

The grinning teeth split open.

_"So... Soni-i-i-i... "_

"come on, Tails... come back..."

_"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiic. Hedgehog. Male. Designation - objective. "_

"Tails, come ON!!! PLEASE!!!" 

Sonic now shook the mechanical skeleton harshly, tears running down his cheeks as the chrome skull rocked back and forth. The red eyes flickered with blue.

_"Sonic..."_

"come on, man... don't go..."

_"Sssssssssoniccc. Hedgehog. Male. Design- NO!!!"_

The machine wrenched itself away from Sonic's grip, slamming into the concrete floor with a metallic screech. It scrambled into a sitting position, blue eyes glowing with terror.

_"Sonic?!? Help... help me..."_

..............................................

Sonic dropped to his knees at the the terrified voice of the young fox, as steel claws scraped against a chrome skull and glowing blue eyes swivelled madly.

"Tails! Is that... Is that you?"

The skeletal machine, so spindly without its wrapping of flesh, desperately hugged into the blue hedgehog's side, smooth metal brushing against blue fur. sonic gingerly attempted to console his brother, careful not to get pinched in between the mechanics.

"It's okay, little dude.. I'm here..."

 _"Sonic... I..."_ the tiny, terrified voice of a familiar yellow fox whimpered from exposed vocal units. _"I don't know what to do..."_

"Well first..." Sonic carefully sat cross legged on the concrete floor and took a steel hand in his. "Why don't you tell me why you did...this? " he gestured at the cold steel exoskeleton quivering before him.

 _"I..."_ Tails voice, mechanical without flesh surrounding it, shook. _"the... programming... it... not me... I..._

"Its okay, buddy..." Sonic had no idea how to deal with this, could only do his best to comfort his frightened brother. "Take your time..."

 _"I..."_ the blue eyes darted around the workshop, Tails appearing to have a hard time concentrating. _"I..."_ suddenly, the exoskeleton stiffened and blue eyes flickered red. _"One of this unit's auxiliary functions is to shed organic camouflage to maximise psychological impact during combat scenarios."_

"So this is _supposed_ to be scaring the crap outta me? Gotta say, little buddy. It's freaking working."

The steel head cocked. _"confirm - this unit performed adequately?"_

"Hey..." Sonic gave the frame a little shake. "Enough of the 'this unit' crap. You're name is Tails, and you're my best friend remember? "

The machine regarded this for a moment.

_"Miles. Prower. Persona-a-a-ality subroutine imbued for efficient espionage appliances and integration with organic objectives. This unittttttttttttttt... "_

The skeletal frame shook as the manufactured personality of 'Miles Prower' fought against its original programming. Blue eyes focused back on Sonic, filled with terror.

_"I... I'm a monster, Sonic... "_

Blue hands squeezed steel ones.

"You're my brother, Tails. _That's_ what you are. And I'm gonna help you through this... whatever it takes. "

Steel shoulders wracked and artificial lungs heaved, and Sonic wrapped his arms as best he could around cold metal as his brother began to sob in an entirely convincing imitation of despair. The grimacing face remained expressionless, no flesh or tear glands left to emote with.

"Sonic? what's going on..."

..............................................

The two brothers turned with a start toward the open double doors of the workshop, where a pink hedgehog with bobbed quills wore a bewildered expression over her face. Stirred by the commotion, she was looking directly at the pair - in particular the steel form beside the kneeling blue hedgehog.

Glowing blue eyes, that she knew so well, met her green. Her mouth flopped open in a silent scream.

 _"Sonic... help..._ an artificial oesophagus constricted with shame and fear, and Sonic moved to cover the bare metallic form of his brother.

"Amy! don't come any closer!"

"Sonic?! Who... WHAT is that?!? "

"Please!!! Just -"

Sonic faltered as metallic hands frantically pushed him away, and steel screeched against concrete as the mechanical exoskeleton desperately scanned for an escape. The whiplike twin tails spun into a blur and the machine rose into a hover before the two hedgehogs. Glowing eyes locked with the pink hedgehog, and flashed red as the programming asserted itself again.

_"Amy. Rose. Hedgehog. Female. Designation - Collateral. No!!!"_

Sonic positioned himself between Amy and the Infiltrator, while steel fists beat into steel skull, blue and red flashing eyes darting around the workshop.

_"I... no... objective... query?... SOOOOOONICCCCCCCC - Processor Overload. Shutting down. "_

Metallic feet touched the ground, the twin tails slowly winding to a halt. With a final whinge of servos, mechanical shoulders slumped, chrome skull hung limply to one side, and the furiously glowing eyes dimmed and became hollow, lifelessly staring through the concrete floor. A steel mannequin now stood in the centre of Tails' workshop, among the tools and spare parts, swaying slightly while artificial organs slowed to conserve power.

...............................................

"M... miles? " Sonic tentatively approached the inert machine, that was now as still as a statue. "Buddy?"

Amy moved beside the blue hedgehog and gripped his arm tightly. "Is... is that _Tails?!"_

He nodded grimly, reaching out but not daring to touch the skeletal form in case he knocked it over. He didn't want to... _damage..._ his brother.

"Its a long story..."

"But... but how?"

"Help me move him... " Sonic cut her off, "we need to get him somewhere safe while we... figure this out... "

"And then you'll tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Yes. Everything."


	2. Soul in the machine

The black and red hedgehog yawned as he washed his hands, toilet gurgling beside him. He might be the Ultimate Lifeform, but even he needed to relieve himself every once in a while.

He dried himself off and padded back out into the workshop that belonged to the yellow fox known as Miles Prower. Shadow's presence here was necessitated by the fact that Tails, perhaps the greatest robotics engineer on the planet after Robotnik himself, was currently... indisposed.

sonic had literally begged his once rival to come assist with the situation they now found themselves in with the (formerly) yellow fox, Shadow's experience maintaining Omega - and ability to keep a secret - making him the most qualified right now.

It had been an... interesting revelation. It wasn't every day a person discovered they were actually a killer robot built by their arch-nemesis to spy on their best friend.

The hedgehog padded through the workshop barefoot, taking note of the myriad of scattered tools and spare parts that lay everywhere. A sleek red biplane sat in the middle of the workshop, and various strange inventions sat on wooden workbenches, many only partially constructed as the genius fox-boy had lost attention halfway through and focused on other projects.

Hard to believe all of this was the product of a... machine.

Shadow paused. He may have been tired, but his ingrained survival instincts kicked in. His eyes scanned the dark workshop, flitting over the ominous shapes of machinery and equipment.

He eventually focused on a pair of brightly glowing blue orbs, that quietly observed him from the workshop depths.

...............................................

_"Shadow... hedgehog... male... designation -"_

Shadow huffed and folded his arms, cutting off the unenthusiastic robotic spiel of his current charge. "I don't like being watched, fox."

There was a pause, before the glum voice of Sonic's small fox-brother sounded again.

_"What are you doing here?"_

" I could ask you the same thing... " 

Shadow, arms still folded, began to approach the glowing orbs, his eyes flickering up and down as he looked their owner over.

The mechanical exoskeleton designated Robotnik Infiltration Unit Alpha-Zero-One, alternative designation of Miles 'Tails' Prower, stood limply in the workshop depths, feet planted, steel shoulders slumped and skeletal arms hanging loosely at his sides. Glowing blue orbs regard Shadow with melancholy.

Shadow couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the twelve year-old fox that the machine had believed itself to be just two days previously.

"What are you doing?" continued the hedgehog, furrowing his brow, "just standing there?"

The machine didn't move a millimetre, blue eyes simply flicking to stare through the concrete floor.

_"Guess I'm where I belong..."_ Tails replied, in the most horribly depressed tone Shadow had ever heard from the fox. _"with the other... Things..."_

Shadow had never particularly cared for the fox. He appreciated the genius, but that was often offset by the child's often overbearing (sometimes suspiciously _forced_ ) cheeriness. He was a... useful aquaintence of the black hedgehog's at most.

But Shadow knew that Sonic and Miles, while not bound by blood, were as close as brothers. Shadow knew what that felt like, and could sympathise.

Besides, there was one other thing he now had in common with the formerly yellow fox. And it gave him pause.

.............................................

"You sound sad," the black hedgehog stated, leaning himself against a nearby workbench. A sound like tearing rubber was his his reply, and it took him a moment to realise that it was a snort of laughter.

"Did you use your superior intellect to figure that one out?" The long-sentient infiltration unit replied mockingly. shadow shifted in his position, unamused.

"Is sarcasm another of your subroutines?" Replied the hedgehog. The chrome skull-face remained expressionless, though the eyes flickered rapidly. As though blinking.

 _"I am... programmed with a wide range of imitation emotional states... for effective espionage applications..."_ the machine replied sadly. _"Makes me more... lifelike..."_

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe you're alive?"

The glowing blue eyes swivelled in their sockets, fixing on his. 

_"Shadow, look at me... "_ The infiltrator said bitterly. _"How can this u... How can _I_ possibly be alive? I'm just a... collection of wires, metal, circuits... implanted with false memories and deployed to fool people... I'm not real, not alive... I'm nothing..."_

Shadow didn't answer, instead meandering over to the smashed-up Tornado and laying a hand on the heavily modified red biplane that was Tails' pride and joy.

"Why are you still here?" The hedgehog said, looking back to the still immobile infiltrator.

The blue eyes flickered red at the unexpected question. _"Please determine query. "_

Tails' voice had become flat and monotone, logic processors thrown off by the sudden change of subject.

"It is in your programming..." Shadow went on, "that in the event of total mission failure, the unit must return to Robotnik control for complete dispensation and replacement of organic camouflage... and personality subroutines. Is that correct? "

The machine remained utterly still and silent, but Shadow could sense fear when it was in his vicinity. He superimposed the yellow and white furry face of Prower over the bare grimacing skull, and imagined the fox would be wearing an expression of pure dread.

"Is that correct?" Repeated Shadow, after several seconds had passed without a reply.

 _"Affirmative..."_ Tails' voice emanated timidly from the infiltrator's vocal units.

Shadow fixed him with a glare. "And what does that mean?"

_"compromised identity... must be replaced with new... personality subroutines..."_

The voice was barely a whisper.

"And what does that mean for the individual known as Miles Prower? "

_"Deletion..."_

"In essence..." Shadow finished, "You cease to exist. You die."

The machine barely whimpered. 

_"yes..."_

"so you choose to ignore your programming. Because you don't want to die?"

No answer. Blue eyes simply stared through the floor.

"So..." Shadow spoke up, "Sorrow, sarcasm... imagination..." He patted the red biplane as he approached the unmoving mechanical form the fox had been reduced to. "Fear, self-preservation, consciousness, freedom of choice... " Shadow paused and pinched his nose in frustration. "for Chaos' sake Prower, can you _move_ or something? Your immobility is beginning to bother me."

Tails, who hadn't moved a proverbial muscle the entire conversation, shifted with the quiet whirr of exposed mechanics, nervously crossing his arms to fidget at the elbows. Whiplike twin tails coiled and uncoiled.

Shadow felt a brief flutter of satiafaction. _That's right, don't treat the fox any different. Best way to break through._

"That doesn't sound like a soulless machine to me, Miles..." Shadow continued, the fox's first name unfamiliar coming from the black hedgehog's mouth. "Whatever you are Prower, if you can feel and choose your own path... that's what makes you alive. Take it from me."

_"I hate this..."_ The fox whispered, staring down at his exposed mechanical limbs. _"I hate this so much..."_

__

"Wallowing in self-pity isn't going to make this go away..." Shadow lay a hand on a steel shoulder, noting how extremely _cold_ it was. "embrace it. Use it _against_ Robotnik. Pay him back for what he did. "

The chrome skull cocked and Shadow imagined the orange face pasted with suspicion as the glowing blue eyes locked on his.

_"why are you... trying to _help_ me?"_

Shadow shrugged. "I've been in the same position myself. Did you forget? I'm a Robotnik creation too... " the hedgehog spoke bitterly, resenting his intended use as a weapon. "Organic, and of a previous generation, but nevertheless. In fact, some of the technology used in my development was adapted for yours. From what I gather from the files." 

Tails snorted humorlessly. _" So I guess you're like my grandpa or something, huh... "_

"Don't..." Shadow glowered and raised a finger, "tempt me, fox. You're not the only one who knows how to use a screwdriver."

The two Robotnik creations stood in silence, before Shadow yawned and began to head back for the spare room he had taken for the night.

"I'm going back sleep. Inform me should you need anything. I'm the one responsible for figuring out your systems, I don't need your brother on my ass if your arms drop off or anything."

The blue eyes followed him as he trudged up the stairs to the higher level toward the living spaces.

 _"Okay..."_ Tails replied, settling back into his idle standing position, apparently having given up on bothering with organic concerns such as 'sleeping in a bed'. _"And Shadow?"_

Shadow paused on the stairs, one hand wrapped around the banister. "Yes, Prower?"

_"Tha... a... a-a-a-a-a-..."_

Shadow turned as the artificial voice began to skip, and he felt daggers in his back. His spines raised defensively and all of his fighting instincts kicked in as he turned to find the blue eyes gone, a pair of burning red orbs instead glaring at him from chrome sockets.

His hand flexed, ready to summon a Chaos Spear.

"Miles?" Shadow enquired tentatively, maintaining his position.

The red eyes bore into him, regarding the hedgehog like a predator considering its prey, before the burning orbs slowly dimmed away, and the infiltrator once again slumped into a state of power conservation.

Shadow continued to observe the now inert machine as it stood like a statue, artificial organs pulsing lightly beneath the ribcage canopy, as though it would spring to life any moment and attack.

Whatever had happened, whatever it was behind those red eyes... that wasn't Prower.

What it was, Shadow knew, was the recently awoken original intelligence behind the machine. The weapon, that was slowly consuming the individual that was Miles Prower.

Shadow grunted. This was a problem they would have to deal with.


	3. Monsters Together

"I don't care what you, Amy, or anybody else says..." Growled Knuckles, eyeing the workshop with hostility. "I do not, I repeat NOT, trust that thing in there."

"That _thing_ ," replied Sonic, glaring at his friend with venom, "is my brother. And _your friend._ "

knuckles shot a look at Sonic as he took a bite out of a hot dog. "It's a _machine_ Sonic. A _Badnik_. That's been under our noses for years! It fooled everybody!! and you think it's okay to just let it hang around unsupervised? Like a damn _pet?!_ We should take it apart right n-"

" _DON'T..._ " Sonic glared at Knuckles, index finger raised. Ketchup wobbled on the end as the hedgehog positively stared death at the echidna. _"You DARE even lay a FINGER on him."_

knuckles set his chin and stepped dangerously close to Sonic, their noses close to touching. "Fine..." He growled, fists clenched. "But if it even looks at anyone here funny... I'm scrapping it. And that's final."

Sonic stood his ground as the echidna shoved past him. The hedgehog breathed heavily, adrenalin now flooding his veins. He stared angrily at the hot dog in his hand, and tossed it aside for the birds to eat. Stupid thing didn't even have any chilli on it anyway.

He sighed. He knew Knuckles would not have taken well to the current... situation with Tails. He just hadn't expected this level of hostility.

Tails had locked himself in his workshop out of shame, and no amount of coaxing or reassurance had improved his temperament. And knuckles' attitude didn't help matters. Sonic wanted desperately to help his suffering brother, but had no idea how. How could he? 

Still, he had to try. Setting thoughts of angry red echidnas and chilli-less dogs aside, Sonic trudged toward the workshop to see his brother. He could at least be there for him.

................................................

Something was off again. Sonic could tell.

He could smell... something like oil. And burning. The whirr and clacks of machinery could be heard emanating from somewhere deep in the workshop. He remembered the last time he had entered this building in a similar circumstance... less than fondly.

He tentatively stepped over the concrete floor, eyes scanning the workshop. "Tails? You in here buddy?"

_"Sonic?!"_

Sonic released a sigh of relief. At least his brother had answered him directly this time.

"Yeah it's me buddy, just checking to see if you need anything..."

_"Sonic, no! Don't come in here!! Get out!!!"_

Well, that wasn't going to happen. Tails sounded panicked, and Sonic wasn't about to leave his little brother in trouble.

He quickened his pace, the smell of oil intensifying. "Tails! You okay buddy?! I'm comi-"

The hedgehog skidded to a halt over the concrete... and frowned with bewilderment.

...............................................

Some kind of large multi-limbed robot, like that which might be found in an automobile production plant, stood over a wooden workbench, tools clutched in its tri-pronged claws. Cables connected it to a nearby generator... and to the prone, Mobianoid steel figure laying on the workbench.

The gleaming mechanical form of Sonic's best friend lay on its back, arms by the sides.. ribcage and stomach canopies removed and discarded to one side. Wires trailed from the side of the chrome skull, connecting to the larger machine towering over it.

Glowing blue eyes glared at Sonic accusingly.

_"Sonic! I told you NOT to come in here!!!"_

"Tails..." Sonic swallowed a wave of nausea as his eyes landed on the glistening black rubber of exposed artificial organs, pulsating as the machine above retracted its tools. "What... are you doing?"

The mechanical exoskeleton lay its head back on the workbench, and Tails released a frustrated sigh.

_"Four years of continuous operation without a single maintenance cycle..."_ Tails' voice reverberated artificially from between lipless steel teeth. _"I wouldn't let the Tornado go four DAYS without at least giving her a tune up..."_

"so you're... giving yourself a service?"

The eyes fixed on him again, and despite the lack of expression Sonic could tell that Tails was displeased with him.

_"More or less..."_ the machine lay its head back again and the eyes dimmed as the multi-limbed machine above began twitching its limbs. _"besides, I need to learn how... this stuff works... in case I need to... repair myself."_

"Oh..." Sonic approached the 'operating table' with cautious fascination, noting the bitterness in his brother's explanation. "You... need any help?"

Tails switched his eyes back on - _switched his damn eyes back on_ \- as he looked back at Sonic, with what felt like condescension. 

_" No offense Sonic, but I wouldn't trust you to change a tyre. "_ the eyes dimmed again as the operating machine continued its work, apparently being directly controlled by Tails himself. _"This is delicate work, and even I don't one hundred percent know what I'm doing. I haven't seen technology like this before. "_

Technology like this. Tails was talking about _his own body._

"Oh..." Sonic awkwardly hovered before the workbench, feeling nauseous as the armature probed into Tails' innards, but too morbidly curious to turn away.

The blue eyes lit up and glared at him again, the armature pausing in its work. _"you're not going to leave, are you?"_

Sonic raised his hands defensively. "Hey dude, I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but I might have to learn some of these... Ins and outs... in case you're out of it and Shadow's unavailable!" He drooped his ears and shrugged apologetically. "I can beat it if that's what you want..."

Tails sighed, chrome skull clicking against the workbench as he lay his head back down. _"Fine, sit down. just... don't touch anything..."_

Sonic pulled over a small wheeled tool barrow and set himself down beside the bench, as the armature continued its work. He winced as clicking tools shifted aside rubbery insides.

"Doesnt this... hurt?" 

_"No. I have disabled my pain receptors."_

Sonic frowned. "You can do that? why would you even have those?"

_"Authenticity."_ came the bitter reply. The blue eyes briefly flashed on and glanced to the hedgehog. _"makes me behave more... realistic."_

Sonic flinched at the pure bitterness in the response.

He shook his head and folded his arms. "You'd think we'd have spotted _something_ before now..."

 _"My internal systems are closely designed to mimic organic physiology... "_ Tails muttered, currently too far into focused-on-the-job engineer mode to acknowledge he was talking about his _own body._ _"life signs, brain patterns, body functions... unless you know what you're looking for or just straight up cut me open, you wouldn't know any better."_

Sonic hummed, trying to think of something - anything - to say.

"so, uh... how you doin'? "

 _"I am operating at... "_ all limbs on the armature paused as Tails thought for a moment. _"eighty-seven percent capacity. Less than optimal."_

"Yikes, what happen to the other thirteen percent?"

_"four years of fighting..."_ Tails reminded him, _"with no maintenance or upkeep. I'm fortunate to be in as good shape as I am. I'm not exactly designed to remain in the field for this long."_ the blue eyes locked on Sonic and briefly flashed red. _"plus I appear to be missing my... camouflage. "_

Sonic winced as he remembered the plucky yellow fox this machine had been not long ago.

He uncomfortably fiddled with his hands as he remembered the first time he and Tails had met... The young yellow fox had been so excited, so childlike, so _happy..._

He had been _hours_ old. Not including any preliminary testing Robotnik may have put the exoskeleton through. 'Tails' hadn't existed as anything more than a developing computer program waiting to be perfected and uploaded into its mechanical body until shortly being deployed to intercept Sonic.

It had never occurred to Sonic that Tails hadn't aged a day in four years.

Sonic swallowed back angry tears. Robotnik would get his for putting his brother through this.

"You... " the hedgehog croaked, unsure how to approach the subject he wanted to pursue, "thinking of... You know... making yourself a new..." Sonic deliberated for a moment before shrugging. "...skin?"

There was an uncomfortable pause, and Sonic couldn't help but notice the harsh flicker of red in the infiltrator's eyes.

 _"This unit not have access to the appropriate tools and manufacturing techniques necessary for the construction of a new wrapping of organic camouflage."_ the machine replied matter-of-factly. Then the robotic spiel was dropped as Tails voice fell into a low depression. _"besides. Why bother. I can access my systems easier this way... and everyone can see what I really am. And know to stay away."_

Sonic decided not to ask any more delicate questions. It seemed he was pushing all of the wrong... buttons...

He made a mental note to never use that phrase out loud.

..............................................

_"okay, that should do it..."_ Tails moved his own arms for the first time since sonic had arrived, reaching to the side of his skull and disconnecting the wires linking him to the maintenance robot. The armature twitched as his consciousness left its systems, limbs slumping and hanging limp. Tails eyes lit glowing blue and flickered rapidly, as though blinking.

 _That's probably exactly what he's doing,_ thought Sonic. Rapidly switching his eyes off and on to compensate for the lack of eyelids.

Sonic wondered whether that was ingrained in his consciousness or something Tails had developed to simulate blinking.

A steel hand gestured to Sonic, its owner still prone on his back.

_"Sonic, you might actually be able to help right now..._

Sonic leapt to his feet, happy to feel useful. "Yeah! Yeah little buddy, what do you need?"

_"I need you to help refit my... upper canopy..."_

Sonic wore his usual lopsided grin, eyes vacant. "Huh?"

Blue eyes clicked off and on, boring into his. _"My RIBS, Sonic..."_

"Oh! Uh, yeah dude, sure..."

With Sonic's assistance, Tails' reinforced steel ribcage and lower torso canopies were neatly slotted back into place, fitting back into their owner with a series of soft clicks. Maintenance cycle complete, Sonic stepped back as, with the scrape of metal across wood, Tails sat himself up and swung his legs over the side of the workbench.

Sonic set his hands on hips and frowned with concern as several more clicks tapped from the exoskeleton and Tails' eyes darted across the floor.

"Everything okay there, bud?"

Tails appeared to pause with consideration. _"mechanical functions operating at... ninety-four percent capacity. Adequate."_

Sonic folded his arms as he leaned on the workbench beside his brother. "Still missing a few numbers there, little buddy..."

Tails shrugged metal shoulders. _"Not much else I can do... I don't have the necessary equipment or experience with this kind of... My systems..."_ the machine huffed as he set his forearms on his thighs... they slipped, the smooth metallic surfaces offering very little friction between one another.

Sonic felt sorrow for his brother as Tails attempted to find a comfortable position, until the former fox simply settled for allowing his arms to hang limply at his sides.

 _"Ironic, huh?"_ the machine sighed, staring down at his own body. _"Turns out the genius engineer happens to be a genius piece of engineering himself... "_

"It's okay, buddy..." Sonic said, laying a hand on a _cold_ steel shoulder. "You don't have to be ashamed... "

Tails snorted, the sound of his artificial throat like tyres scraping against gravel. _"You don't get it, Sonic... I was literally built to spy on, and even maybe KILL, people who became my friends... any moment my original programming could have kicked in, and just like that..."_ Tails attempted to snap his fingers, failing miserably, the steel rubber-tipped digits slipping neatly away from each other. The machine sighed, staring miserably at the hand. _"I'm A monster, Sonic... I don't think you can understand what this is like..."_

Sonic's mouth curled slightly at that. Tails was still his brother, no matter what he looked like, and he hated seeing him so... depressed. But maybe there was something he could do to show his brother he wasn't completely alone.

"That's not true!" The hedgehog said slowly removing his white gloves. " remember that whole Werehog fiasco a couple years back? "

Tails huffed. _"that's different, Sonic. For one..."_ he opened up his skeletal hand and began counting off steel digits. _"... That only occurred at night. Two, your spirit maintained a connection to the natural world that, honestly, I probably don't have any more. And three... you changed back to normal... there's no going back for me. "_

Sonic flexed his bare hands as he bent down to remove his shoes. "Well," he grinned back up at his brother, who continued not to notice the hedgehog's actions. "That's not entirely true..."

_"Sonic, how the hell am I going to ever be 'normal'"_ " steel fingers raised and performed air quotes. _"again? You gonna pull a magic wand out of your ass or something? "_

Sonic laughed, setting his shoes aside and standing up. "What goes in or outta my ass is none of your business..."

_"gross."_

"Besides, I wasn't talking about that... "

Tails cocked his head and glowing blue eyes flickered as the hedgehog padded barefoot across the concrete floor. _"query; please explain purpose of present behaviour. "_

Sonic smiled at his brother, bracing himself for the pain he knew was to come. "I never really changed back to normal... That part of me never left... just became easier to control...'

_"Query; please explain...'_

Tails, back in robot mode, didn't have the chance to finish his inquiry. Sonic shut his eyes and dug down inside, reaching for the part of himself he had buried _deep_ and tried to forget, that right now might be the best way to console his brother.

The hedgehog began to quiver and sweat as bones began to crack and muscle began to shift, altering his body into a bulkier, more quadrapedal form. a low growl emitted at the pain of the long-unused transformation, Teeth and claws elongated painfully, fur expanding into thick mane of dark blue and silver fuzz. His spines stretched and sharpened, becoming fierce enough to penetrate steel.

Sonic's whole body convulsed as the beast inside was, after so long, let from its leash, until with a final snapping of bone, the Werehog threw back his head and unleashed an enormous howl.

_" HOOOOOOOOoooowwwwwwww.... GOD that hurts more than I remember..."_

_"SONIC?!?"_

The Werehog, currently on the floor in a heap, grinned as metal squealed against concrete, Tails screeching on his knees as he rushed to assist his transformed brother.

_"SONIC!! ARE YOU OKAY?! "_

The Werehog shifted himself painfully up onto his forearms, doing his best to reaquaint himself with his altered state. 

"Yeah..." Sonic grunted, wishing that he could turn his own 'pain receptors' off right now, yet wearing his best grin all the same, "just outta practice... that's all..."

_"SONIC! How long have you been keeping this a secret?!? "_

The Werehog stumbled onto all fours, blinking harshly as he reoriented himself to his altered stature. "Uh, like, forever? It used to happen every now and then, but I got good at controlling it. And then ignored it. Well, as best anyone can ignore being part hell-beast filled with dark energy can, anyway.."

Tails shook his head and leaned back into a sitting position against the workbench.

_"you should have told me, Sonic. I could have done something."_

"Nah, you had enough on yer' plate..." The Werehog loped over to his mechanical brethren, tail wagging slightly as Tails reverted into protective brother mode, ironically the most normal he had been during this whole crazy ordeal. "Besides..." The Werehog flopped down and grinned, the pain of the transformation ebbing. "You never know. Might come in handy if I ever found myself in a... Hairy situation..."

Tails fixed him with a glare. It wasn't hard to imagine the former fox wearing an expression of amused disgust. _"you're terrible, Sonic."_

" I dunno, I think I'm a howl... "

Tails rolled his eyes in the most natural expression Sonic had yet seen on the chrome face, then leaned his skull against the wooden bench with a soft _clack_

 _"aren't we a pair, huh?"_ the former fox flexed his own hands before him, rubberized digits curling and uncurling. _"why does weird shit like this always happen to us?"_

"Well," grunted Sonic, shifting himself into a more comfortable laying position, "at least this way we can be monsters together..."

The two brothers, one large, muscular, and covered with thick wiry fluff, the other skeletal and composed of chrome and steel, just sat on the cold concrete floor of the workshop as they considered their strange new reality.

A steel hand reached out and began scratching between the Werehog's ears.

"don't push it, dude."

_"hey, I don't have fuzz anymore, let me have this."_

"Ugh... fine, but just one 'good boy' outta you and I'll make shadow reprogram you to pick up my crap..."

As the two brothers bantered, the reawakened intelligence behind the infiltration unit studied the curious new form of the primary objective... and considered ways of subduing it.


	4. The Furminator

Three weeks. Tails had locked himself away from the world for three weeks, expressly forbidding anybody but Sonic and Shadow from entering his workshop. He knew how he looked, and was afraid of other people's reactions to his true form.

It was the first day of the fourth week that the former fox stepped out from his workshop.

"Hey..." Said Amy, nudging a sleepy blue hedgehog in the ribs as he napped on a deck chair beside her. "Look who's out..."

"Huh?! Whu..." Sonic jerked and looked around groggily, face settling into a tired smile as the mechanical form of his brother gleamed in the midday sun. He was glad to see Tails clad in his usual goggles, tool-pouches... and familiar red and white sneakers.

The shoes had gone ignored until the second week, when Tails had become tired of his own steel claws scraping against the concrete floor of the workshop. But it was also a sign that he was returning to some form of normality.

Sonic exposing his little secret had helped. Whenever Tails had had some 'work' to do, or just needed company, the Werehog had laid beside his brother like a loyal hound and offered consolation.

"Hey there!" sonic called over, causing glowing blue eyes to fix on him. "about time you got some air!"

The machine turned and began to approach the two hedgehogs, nervously playing with his hands in that very familiar way Tails had always done.

Amy, despite the sensation of primal fear at his appearance, did her best and offered her friend a warm smile.

"Hi Tails!" She chirruped, standing from her sun lounger and trudging through the sand in her flip-flops. "It's good to see you out again!"

Tails flinched as the pink hedgehog embraced the former fox in an unexpected sisterly hug.

She noted how, even in the sun, how _cold_ the steel form of her friend was.

 _"H... hi Amy..."_ Tails whimpered, clearly uncomfortable with being out in the open like this.

she stood back, maintaining her hold on his shoulders. "How are you doing, kiddo?"

Tails fumbled with his tool-pouches, eyes refusing to meet hers. _"Best I can, I guess..."_ he unclasped a pouch to retrieve a canteen. _"I'm sorry i... scared you..."_

"Hey, it's okay!" Amy grinned as Sonic joined the pair, hands on hips. "Like sonic says, you don't have to be ashamed okay? We're here to help you."

_"uh huh, tell that to Knuckles..."_

.............................................

"Hey!" Sonic stifled a yawn, huge bags under his eyes. "Old knucklehead'll come round. I'll make him come round if I have to!"

The three friends had retired to a nearby wooden table, Sonic and Tails sitting across from one another while Amy set down a plate of chilli dogs.

Tails eyed his brother, unconvinced, as he unscrewed the water canteen. In one swift motion he reared his head and tipped the contents between the fleshless exposed teeth of his mouth, the cool water spilling down the black rubbery gullet.

"You wanna eat something?" Amy said, setting a plate in front of her mechanical friend. 

Tails shook his head and ignored the plate. _"No thanks. Not necessary. I... have no remaining organic components to maintain. The water simply helps regulate my temperature conditioning systems."_

"Oh." Amy simply stared, the information lost on her. 

"Heh, just means more for me!" Sonic growled, reaching out and stacking food on his own plate. He raised a chilli dog in his ungloved hands and devoured it like a predator consuming freshly killed prey.

If Tails could wear an expression of concern, he would have. To compensate the machine cocked his head and flickered his eyes. It seemed the constant, irregular Werehog transformations were altering his brother's temperament.

"so what brings you out?" Sonic growled through a mouthful of food, pausing to lick remaining globs of chilli from his hands. "Thought you'd gone full hermit on us, dude!"

_"needed a change of scenery..."_ Tails replied, as Sonic scratted behind his ear with a claw. _"Also, I wanted to check up on YOU for a change, Sonic. You're acting a little... Out of it..."_

"Yeah, I've noticed that too.." Amy said, delicately slicing apart her own solitary 'dog with a knife and fork. "You sure this whole... transforming thing isn't getting to you?"

Sonic looked between the pair with bloodshot, tired eyes. "I'm fine, guys..." He replied, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "It's just been a while since I... Y'know..."

_"What, was let off the leash?"_ Tails spoke up. Sonic extended a clawed digit toward his brother.

"That's enough of that, Bolts..." The hedgehog replied, "do you _like_ having your arms attached to your body?"

_"yeah, I like my limbs where they are, thanks."_

Amy giggled as Sonic and Tails bickered. Ironically, despite _everything,_ the two friends she considered brothers were seemingly back to normal.

Behind glowing blue eyes, the intelligence deployed to observe these creatures watched the interaction with increasing fascination.

............................................

_Some days later..._

_"okay... that should do it..."_

Tails slid the goggles back onto his forehead as he finished his work, flexing the metallic digits of his left hand. He replaced his tools back into their assigned pouches and stepped back, removing the wires that connected his brain to the maintenance armature.

_" 'kay... Let's see if this works... "_

He raised his left arm. At a thought from his brain, a holographic display bloomed from the fore of the limb. He grinned with satisfaction as he swiped through the information with his right hand. Or he would have, had he still flesh surrounding his mouth parts.

He had built a computer into his own arm. He tapped at a command, and the mechanical double doors of the workshop shuttered close. Another tap and the doors reopened.

Satisfied with his work, Tails shut off the display and reached for his water canteen. He'd add additional functions into his systems later. The way he saw it, if he was going to be a machine he might as well be a very _versatile_ machine.

He tipped the canteen back and allowed the water to enter his cooling systems. clamping his metallic teeth shut, he screwed the cap back on and set the canteen back in its pouch. at least he could still appreciate a drink of cool water.

He considered for a moment. Maybe he'd eat something today.

The consumption of food was entirely unnecessary for him now. It wasn't as though the former fox had any organic components to keep healthy. But he still had a fully functioning artificial digestive system, and he _liked_ food.

Tails pulsed his appetite routines. His artificial stomach reflexively growled, a huge stab of hunger running through his guts. He was _starving._

No wonder. He hadn't touched food in almost four weeks. Such organic concerns had been largely abandoned in his exposed machine state... and extreme depression.

a depression that appeared to be easing.

_"Chaos... don't tell me I'm getting used to this..."_

He glumly shut off his appetite and wondered what to do next. His eyes flickered off and on in the facsimile of blinking he had developed in lieu of eyelids, and settled on the still battered form of the Tornado. He still hadn't performed repairs on the aircraft since his... meltdown a month ago, when his original programming began to awaken.

 _Meltdown._ poor choice of phrase.

 _"Sorry, Old Girl..."_ he muttered sadly, running a hand over his favourite machine. _"I promise I'll get around to fixing you up..."_

Maybe that's what he would do. Effect immediate repairs on his pride and joy. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

But first, food. Screw it, he was hungry. Might as well put that food processing system to good use.

The skeletal form of the infiltration unit turned and left the workshop, remotely shutting the doors behind him.

..............................................

"You're nuts, you know that? Nuts!"

"Nah mate I'm not Nuts..." Sonic tiredly grinned at his echidna friend and winked. "You don't know that guy... "

Knuckles shook his head and set his cards down, ignoring whatever the exhausted hedgehog was blathering on about. "You're hurting yourself, Sonic! This whole Werehog thing? Transforming on and off whenever? You ever wonder how much strain you're putting on your body? Can't be good, dude. "

Sonic yawned, displaying increasingly pointed teeth. "I'm fine, knux. Just a little worn out is all..."

"You look like shit. "

"I'm a very handsome boy, thank you very much... " the blue hedgehog slapped his own cards on the table and grinned, canines produding from the corners of his mouth. "Read 'em, echidna!"

knuckles grunted, uninterested in the game. He briefly glanced in the direction of the workshop. "and what's it all for, huh? Just so you can babysit that... machine?"

Sonic let loose a low growl, spines flexing. "You know where I stand on the whole 'Tails Situation', Knux."

"Yeah, I do.." Knuckles replied, pushing back his chair and stretching as he stood. "and you know where I stand... Let's just agree to disagree, okay? "

"Fine... " Sonic gave his friend a wolflike glare as the echidna left the table. "where are you going, knucklehead? tired of losing?"

"I'm going to take a dump... " knuckles called over his shoulder. "And don't worry, I plan on staying _far_ away from that bucket of bolts you call your brother..."

"Good..." Replied Sonic, predatory eyes observing the echidna. "That's good..."

..............................................

Knuckles grunted as he headed for the bathroom. Truth be told, he felt a measure of sympathy for his friend... but Tails was gone. Had never been real to begin with, just a mask worn by a weapon disguised as a friend.

Knuckles didn't trust it. Couldn't trust it. He refused to allow any more wool to be pulled over his eyes, especially by a wolf in fox's clothing.

He would smash 'Tails' into pieces if it came to it. Not that he wanted to be anywhere _near_ the... thing.

He entered through the front door of Sonic's shack - and promptly stumbled as he shared an impact with a shorter figure exiting in the coming direction.

"Ah crap, sorry Amy, I..."

Chrome. Gleaming steel. Glowing blue eyes that regarded him with terror.

Not Amy.

................................................

Knuckles recoiled defensively as he realised what he was looking at. He had yet to properly see Tails in his true form, and was disgusted as his eyes fell on the perverted imitation of life.

The machine cowered before him, clutching a chilli-dog in one steel hand. 

Knuckles glowered down at the mechanical exoskeleton, as though he could dismantle the thing with looks alone. 

_"kn... Knuckles..."_ the infiltrator stammered, in a mimicry of fear. _"S... sorry, I d... didn't see you..."_

"Eating now?" Knuckles growled, towering imposingly over the mechanical frame. "Trying to pass as alive again?"

_"I... was hungry..."_

"Bullshit..." The machine shrank from the threatening red echidna, clutching its chilli dog defensively. Knuckles glared at the goggles, tool pouches, and sneakers the thing wore, apparently even now attempting to pass as a living creature. The act wasn't going to fool Knuckles.

"Listen here, _Badnik..._ " Knuckles stepped forward, slowly forcing the terrified machine back step by step. "I do. NOT. TRUST. YOU. as far as I can _spit_. " the echidna raised a meaty paw and shoved the infiltrator, shoving it harshly into a corner.

"if it wasn't for that idiot hedgehog, I'd scrap you _right now..._ '

The glowing blue eyes stared up at the echidna in absolute shame and fear, the metallic frame cringing beneath his bulk. Knuckles glared into the grimacing skull-face with the lidless eyes, disgusted that _this_ was what had beneath their noses all this time.

"Add this to your memory banks..." Knuckles continued, shoving an index finger into the machine's chest. "If I think for a _microsecond_ you're about to hurt my friends... there won't be so much as a single _circuit_ or screw left of you." he lowered his head, eyes boring into the glowing blue orbs. "Understand?"

The machine beneath him flinched as it squished its chilli dog into mush out of fear, and nodded timidly.

Knuckles grunted and gave the terrified machine one last look of disgust, before turning and leaving the shack without further comment, his need to defecate forgotten.

And behind him, stained red with chilli sauce and trembling with fright, the machine that had fooled them all slid to the floor, face in hands, heaving with tearless sobs.

...............................................

Fear. A powerful emotion. Another for the infiltrator to process.

The intelligence contemplated as it hid behind the glowing blue eyes of 'Miles Prower', the personality that had become sentient and superseded the unit's original programming four years ago.

It found itself in a curious situation. Even after its true nature had been exposed, even after shedding its now defunct camouflage in preparation for combat... The organics surrounding had defended the infiltrator. Sonic... Amy.... Even the curious Project Shadow had developed strong emotional connections to the individual known as Miles Prower. so much so they had stood with him through this entire ordeal.

It was unprecedented. It was fascinating. It felt... it made the infiltrator _feel happy_ to be the object of such affection, even if that love was bicarious.

Happiness. Love. More emotions the intelligence had compiled in its data banks.

The infiltrator saw no need or benefit to returning to Robotnik control at this time. It was content to simply allow Prower full control over their shared unit while it observed and gathered data, content to simply... exist.

But there was one problem.

Knuckles. The echidna.

Knuckles was a threat. An extreme threat. 

The intelligence had shared in the sheer terror and shame felt by Prower in their confrontation. Prower was terrified of the echidna.

And knuckles had made plain his intentions.

Knuckles, echidna, male, was too much of a direct danger to the unit's operational longevity.

Unacceptable. Knuckles must be eliminated. Covertly.

The intelligence looked on as Prower rocked back and forth, head in hands, dryly weeping in his misery. Then, like a hawk swooping on its prey, the intelligence took its moment while Tails was emotionally compromised and retook control of their body.

The infiltrator stiffened and raised back to its feet. Glowing red orbs stared down at its hands as it flexed the steel digits. It felt Prower's confusion as the fox-child was shoved back into the dark recesses of the unit's main processor, watching in mute bewilderment and mounting terror as the infiltrator made preparations.

The infiltrator hummed with Tails' voice as it made its plan. It wondered what it would feel like to kill.

...............................................

Knuckles tentatively stepped into the workshop, fists clenched and eyes scanning the darknes. He didn't trust this.

Moments earlier, Knuckles had received a call on his wrist communicator. From, of all 'people'... _Tails._

The machine had called him to the workshop, mimicry of fear in its voice.

Amy had suffered some kind of an accident, and the machine had begged Knuckles for help.

Knuckles didn't believe a word of it. He was here to find out exactly what had really happened to the pink hedgehog.

He tried to call Sonic... but the damn fool Werehog was off on a run, and his communicator was seemingly not working.

so knuckles would have to deal with this himself.

"Tails..." The echidna almost spat the name out as he walked deeper into the workshop, moving past the Tornado. His eyes scanned the darkness. "I'm here. Where is Amy?"

As if in reply, there was sudden metallic clattering. Knuckles, jumping in his skin, turned to find the double doors to the workshop slammed shut.

"What the-"

Knuckles didn't get to finish his sentence. At a scrape from his left the echidna guardian's warrior instincts kicked in. He ducked and rolled just in time. Where his head had been a scant microsecond before, thrown with incredible precision and deadly force, a hammer pinwheeled through the air and impacted the side of the Tornado, the tool penetrating the aircraft as though it had been fired from a cannon.

Knuckles rolled to his feet and raised his fists, eyes frantically searching for the source of the attack, already knowing who it was had just tried to end him.

And from its cover in a pile of scrap metal, the infiltration unit stormed toward him, hefting a sledgehammer and furiously glaring at the echidna with flaming red orbs.

"I knew it!" growled the echidna, adopting a fighting stance. "I knew you would betray us, you bastard machine!"

The infiltrator continued its approach, the two now circling one another in anticipation of combat.

 _"Resistance is futile... "_ the machine replied, red eyes glaring at Knuckles, twin tails flashing like whips. It spoke with Tails' voice, but was cold and indifferent. _"It will only hurt more if you fight back..."_

Knuckles readied his fists. "Then I hope you're ready to inflict a lot of pain!"

The infiltrator raised its hammer and planted its feet. _More than ready, knucklehead... "_

With that Knuckles howled a battle cry, and launched himself at the waiting machine.

................................................

He loved to run. Ever since he could remember, the hedgehog loved to run.

It was in his nature, just part of who he was. He had first broken the sound barrier when he was three years old. _three years_. Sonic had been born a speedster, as fast and free as the wind.

So it was infuriating that he was so _slow_ these days.

Sonic jogged to a halt beside his shack and set his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. He growled and bared his teeth, frustrated with how sluggish he had become lately.

Then he realised he was prowling around on all-fours.

The hedgehog quickly rose to his feet and brushed himself off, clearing his throat. He hoped nobody had seen his brief slip.

Maybe he really was spending too much time in Werehog form. He had almost full control over his transformations, and spent much of his time these days as the wolf to support his brother... but it was increasingly manifesting itself in his hedgehog form, as though he was slowly being consumed by his wolf side.

Maybe he'd hold off for a while. Tails seemed to be getting on better every day anyway, maybe the Werehog wasn't necessary any more.

"Guess it's time to put the dog back on his leash..." The hedgehog muttered, staring at the exaggerated claws of his ungloved hands.

It didn't have to be permanent. The Werehog side would always be a part of him, and Sonic had enjoyed exploring his wolf nature in the comfort of peace... but ultimately, he would rather be more 'hog than dog.

It was then that he heard the screams.

Sonic's ears perked and his head snapped around, the hedgehog adopting the appearance of a wolf scanning for prey. 

There it was again. Banging, clattering, shouts of anger and pain.. His enhanced hearing picked it all up... emanating from Tails' workshop.

Wait, where was Tails? And where was...

Knuckles.

A horrific dread settled over the blue hedgehog's stomach, and his bones began to pop involuntarily.

"Oh, shit... "

..............................................

It had hardly been a fight.

Knuckles, seasoned warrior and last guardian of the Master Emerald in this world, could not hope to match the enhanced, unfeeling strength of the pitiless machine. 

The red echinda's body smashed through a stack of spare parts and impacted limply to the concrete floor, surrounded by scraps of metal.

Behind him, without even a single scratch on its steel body, the infiltration unit slowly approached with its hammer in hand.

 _"Told you, knucklebrain... "_ the infiltrator kicked away metal scraps as it treaded toward its opponent.

_"you can't win, echidna. I outclass you in speed, strength, and longevity. Just give up and die, already. "_

"Yeah well..." Knuckles grunted, battered and bloodied, gloved hand wrapping around a trashcan lid. He listened and counted the footsteps as the machine approached to finish him off. "I'm not done yet... "

In a swift, daring movement, the warrior echidna took his chance and spun around on his knees, flinging the trashcan lid like a frisbee. The metal disc soared through the air and impacted the advancing machine directly in the eyes.

Knuckles raised himself to his feet, a wrench and screwdriver in his hands, and bellowed a challenge to the infiltrator.

The machine simply hissed static and, in a single swift movement, threw its hammer at the echidna.

Knuckles was too slow this time.

The sledgehammer spun through the air like a throwing axe, the heavy head impacting Knuckles squarely in the chest.

The echidna wheezed like a deflating tyre and fell to his back as his ribs were smashed.

................................................

Pain.

His existence now was excruciating, unbearable pain.

Knuckles couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't speak... could do nothing but blink away fat tears and choke on his own blood, wriggling on his back like an upturned tortoise, while horrific pain made his body spasm.

He wished the blow had killed him. The pain was too much.

And through the agony, distorted by his tears, the burning red eyes of the infiltrator bore down upon him without pity.

The infiltrator could just break the echidna's neck with it's bare hands, but the machine fancied taking its time. It was having fun exercising its combat routines.

Fun. another sensation to savor.

The machine looked around the workshop, searching for an appropriate tool with which to finish the job.

A steel pipe lay among the mess of parts near its feet. It bent over and retrieved the pipe with its right hand, and with the left, scrunched and twisted the end to create a crude but potent thrusting weapon. 

Then the infiltrator slowly began to approach its defeated foe.

 _"I hope you've prepared for the kind of death you've earned, echidna... "_ Tails' voice said, the intelligence in control hungrily considering how it wanted to finish him off.

Knuckles spasmed, tears of agony streaming down his cheeks. choking on his blood, the echidna wheezed as he mouthed a single word...

_Why?_

The machine cocked its head at the silent inquiry.

_"you are a threat, Knuckles. An immediate danger to our prolonged operational capacity. Prower is a child, and your friend. He does not understand. It is my responsibility to do what must be done. "_

Knuckles blinked through the pain, and watched helplessly as the infiltrator stalked over to his crippled body. The machine glared down at him with merciless red pits.

 _"goodbye Knuckles..."_ the thing controlling Tails said, raising its pike in preparation to carve him up.

It wouldn't get the chance. With a tremendous screech of tearing metal, a muscular dark blue and silver beast wrenched its way through the locked double doors of the workshop, and howled with rage at the sight of its dying friend.

...............................................

Sonic hadn't meant to do what he did.

He had adopted his Werehog form to break through the locked doors of the workshop, his enhanced hearing picking up snippets of the fight happening inside. He was terrified, frightened that Knux had done something rash... the boisterous echidna would pay if he had hurt Tails in any...

The Werehog had paused upon breaking into the workshop.

Knuckles, blood leaking from his mouth and white-eyed with pain, lay sprawled on his back... A gleaming, red-eyed skeletal machine towering above his shattered form, weapon raised and ready to strike.

It was that moment all conscious thought left him.

All Sonic could see was his friend about to die at the hands of a machine.

In a huge explosion of primal rage, the Werehog reared its head back and released a vicious, earth shattering roar before charging.

The infiltration unit barely had time to react as it moved to defend itself. The spike raised in its right hand - too late. With the enormous lash of a huge set of claws, the machine was smashed through the air and crashed to the opposite side of the workshop in a heap.

..............................................

Tails whimpered as he saw the damage. _felt_ the damage.

It hurt. His pain receptors had been disengaged, but this hurt in a different way... 

He had tried to fight. Tried to stop his body from attacking Knuckles. He couldn't. He was too scared, too weak, could only cower behind red eyes as his original programming took priority.

He shrank back again as his body angrily scrambled back to its feet, sparks crackling from the torn carapace and the... stump.

The infiltrator stormed over the workshop to retrieve its makeshift weapon from the grip of its own severed right arm, the limb still twitching with activity. It wielded the spike like a dagger and uncoiled its twin tails, the pointed ends quivering with anticipation.

The revived machine readied itself for further battle and furiously stared down the beast before it.

 _"Here, Sonic!"_ the infiltrator called mockingly, _"come here, boy!"_

...............................................

The Werehog snarled and pounced toward the machine. The infiltrator adopted a defensive posture, pike raised and twin tails hovering over the shoulders ready to strike like scorpion stingers.

The beast slashed again with a huge claw, while the machine swiftly dashed away from the charge. The claws missed, while twin tails slashed and the spike furiously impaled the werehog's flank. Once, twice, three times, four... Stabbing again and again in the couple of seconds it had before the beast roared and delivered a ferociously powerful back hand.

Steel ribs buckled under the blow. The infiltrator braced and righted itself mid air as it was launched from its feet, shredding its red and white sneakers as it skidded over the concrete.

The Werehog howled in rage, the wounds on its side going unnoticed. 

In a single swift movement the infiltrator flipped the pike in its hand, and with extreme precision threw the makeshift weapon like a knife. The modified pipe impaled the beast's torso with a wet _thwack_ , burying itself halfway.

The Werehog registered the injury with a grunt and propelled itself forward on all fours.

The infiltrator spun up its tails, rising to a hover above the floor. It raised its feet and sliced down with steel talons like a bird of prey, the Werehog batting away the attack with a powerful swipe.

The machine faltered, caught off balance, it's back briefly turned to the powerful beast. The Werehog wrapped the twin tails around its forearm and, with incredible strength, tore the limbs away from the infiltration unit's spine.

The beast threw the sparking limbs away and howled as the infiltrator turned and furiously screeched with static.

Outraged and without missing a beat, the infiltrator stormed forward and began angrily slashing at the Werehog with its left-hand claws, aiming for the eyes, drawing blood from the face with rapid strokes, before wrapping its remaining hand around the spike impaled in the beast's torso and twisting as it gripped the weapon.

Before the beast could react, the unit simultaneously wrenched its weapon free from the werehog's flesh... and thrust forward with the sparking stump of its right arm. It sent a pulse of electricity through the severed limb as the stump buried itself in the beast's left flank. 

Fur and flesh burned from the improvised attack, and the Werehog howled in pain. The spike thrust forward again, delivering rapid stabbing wounds to the muscular flesh.

With one enraged motion the Werehog lunged forward with its head and sank its teeth into the machine's right shoulder. With enormous strength, teeth and metal warped and snapped as the beast tore away, taking the entire shoulder with it along with the remainder of the arm and a portion of the upper torso canopy.

The machine sputtered and staggered from the strain of what should have been a killing blow... but raised its weapon all the same and slashed upward at the werehog's face.

The Werehog yelped and flinched, the weapon missing its eyes by millimetres.

In response the beast kicked the machine back with a hind leg... and delivered a final swipe to the infiltrator's face.

The blow scarred deep wounds into the chrome skull, chrome shards flying and claws snapping, and shattered the right eye completely.

The machine staggered back and stuttered, the sheer weight of the damage beginning to take its toll.

The Werehog limped, panting heavily, bleeding from scores of deep wounds.

The two combatants stared one another down, taking a breather before they would continue their fight to the death.

................................................

It hurt. Everything hurt.

Good. The pain brought him back. Made the Werehog realise just what it was that was happening.

This had to stop. They were literally tearing one another to pieces.

"T... Tails..." the Werehog breathed heavily, limping on all fours, paws tracking through the blood and oily fluids that spattered the concrete floor. The machine circled around him menacingly, red eye staring death. "I... know you're... in there... "

The machine snorted, black fluid dribbling between steel teeth. The chrome chassis was covered with Sonic's blood.

 _"Tails isn't here right now..."_ it replied, voice crackling as though through an old radio. _"good... good thing too... considering the damage that this unit... has sustained..."_

Sonic winced as he set a paw down and a sharp pain lanced through his side from the multitude of stab wounds. "Tails please... " the Werehog whimpered, as the machine before him drunkenly staggered from its horrific damage. "don't make me fight you... I don't know what I'll do..."

a flicker of blue flashed in the rogue infiltrator's eye.

_"S.... Sssssssssonic..."_

"come on Tails, fight it! " Sonic growled, as the machine began to internally wrestle with itself. 

_"tttttttoo weak..."_ the fox stuttered through damaged vocal units, the remaining eye rapidly flickering between furious red and frightened blue. _"can't... fight... it... "_

"Yes you can!" The Werehog growled through broken teeth as his brother fought against the intelligence that was consuming him. "Miles, you're my brother and I love you... please don't give up! You can beat this.... Thing inside you! "

The predominantly blue eye, still flickering with red, frantically darted over the floor as Tails fought to regain control of his shattered body.

"Come on, Tails..." The Werehog whispered, "please dont let me lose you..."

_"C... can't do it..."_ the machine sobbed, reversing the grip on the makeshift dagger in its hand, _"only... one way to... end this... "_

Sonic watched in mounting horror as the pointed end of the pipe rested against the centre of a chrome chest, and the Werehog understood what his brother intended.

_"I'm sorry, Sonic.. Tell everyone... i'm... sorry..."_

"Tails? TAILS, NO!!! "

The Werehog pounced toward the machine.... Too late. Tails, in the brief time he had in control, plunged the makeshift weapon into his sternum. The bloodied pike punctured steel, tore through artificial organs... and shattered his power core entirely.

The Werehog reached the infiltrator as it keeled forward, catching it in his clawed hands. 

A final breath wheezed from the artificial lungs, the mechanical limbs slumped lifelessly... and the remaining eye slowly lost its blue glow,dimming into nothing as the machine died.

Sonic looked down at the lifeless bundle that lay in his claws, as the internal organs shuddered once more before shutting down. The bloodstained machine dribbled clear and black fluids from its battered and ruined body, mixing with the werehog's blood that spattered the workshop floor.

There was nothing more. Tails was gone.

And the werehog, covered in vicious wounds and wracked with grief, reared his head back and howled in mourning for his dead brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that would be a morbid way to end the fic... If that was the end. 
> 
> gonna start work on chapter 5 soon!


	5. I'm Back

"Okay... that's as much as I can do..."

Shadow rose from his work and lifted the borrowed safety goggles, tucking them just before his ears. He wiped his hands off on the pair of Tails' old denim work overalls and stepped back, while across the workshop a very distressed Werehog prowled around like a parent waiting for their child to be birthed.

"Is he okay?" The Werehog tried to limp over to Shadow, but was held back by a pink hand. Amy, who had done her best to patch up her wounded friend, was under no illusion that she could stop the bandaged beast, but the gesture gave him pause nonetheless.

shadow glanced at the Werehog with exhausted eyes. "I've done everything I can to... stabilise his systems just so the alternate power source won't overload him..." The striped hedgehog wiped sweat from his fur with the back of a hand. "I've also... temporarily disconnected his main processor from the rest of his body. He won't feel a thing below the neck... no pain... if he wakes back up at all."

The Werehog drooped his ears and lowered his head, looking up at Shadow apologetically. The other hedgehog had been overworked and was, for lack of better terms, absolutely knackered. He had spent hours trying to fix this utter mess of a situation, Chaos-controlling over as soon as he got the call.

"Thank you Shads..." Sonic grumbled , resting on his haunches. 

Shadow grunted in reply, too tired to form a reply. It didn't help that the GUN agent had just returned from a mission abroad, running on very little sleep with his body clock messed up.

The first concern had been to rush Knuckles to an intensive care unit. Again, Shadow had Chaos-controlled the shattered echidna to a GUN medical facility, and Knuckles was now under the care of a particular flirtatious white bat. Shadow had never particularly cared for the hard-headed echidna, but he winced at the extent of his injuries. Many of his ribs had been broken, and he wouldn't be moving around for quite some time

And knuckles wasn't the only one to walk away with scars.

Sonic was covered with stab wounds and deep cuts, bleeding from scores of wounds across his flanks and torso, and Shadow was amazed the Werehog was still holding himself together. with Amy's assistance the striped hedgehog had bandaged the wounds up as best they could. The injuries were so widespread and extensive that Sonic was currently forbidden from returning to his normal hedgehog form. There was no telling how the wounds would translate to his regular body. The blue hedgehog might literally fall apart.

And Tails...

For all intents and purposes, at this time the former yellow fox... was dead.

The entire right shoulder and arm were just gone, the upper torso battered torn and bent. The right side of the chrome skull had been ripped away, partially exposing the main processor and completely taking the eye. The remaining eye stared through the concrete floor, utterly lifeless.

And in the centre of the torso, where the heart should be... a puncture wound that ran straight through to where the power core had been. Now completely shattered, destroyed by Tails' act of self-sacrifice.

_Self-sacrifice. Suicide. Call it what you will._

The shattered exoskeleton sat propped in a chair, cables snaking from an open back panel connecting him to the next most powerful energy source they had to hand - the custom built batteries of the Tornado, that Tails had designed himself.

"Okay... I'm ready to hit the power..." Shadow took one last look inside Tails open back, making sure the cables were fitted correctly, before turning and climbing into the biplane's cockpit.

"This will work..." Sonic whimpered , looking for all the world like a frightened puppy, "right?"

"He'll be okay..." Amy leaned over and scratched lightly at the werehog's neck, her blue friend's canine tendencies in overdrive at the stress and his extended stay in Werehog form. "You two always are, remember?"

"Well, we'll find out momentarily..." Shadow replied, setting himself in the pilot's seat.

Sonic limped over to the inert machine as Shadow activated the plane's batteries, feeding power through the connecting cables into Tails' systems. The Werehog sat on his haunches and rested a paw on his brother's remaining hand, gazing into the single eye pleadingly, waiting with bated breath for any sign of life.

There was a light shudder. The artificial organs inside pulsed once. Twice. Then settled into a weak, but steady, rhythm after the third time. The lungs sluggishly began to inhale and exhale, light ragged breaths puffing in and out from between lolling steel teeth. 

And slowly, far, far too slowly, the remaining eye warmed into a dim blue glow. It stared through the concrete floor, unfocused... before the pupil constricted and the optic swivelled in its socket.

"Tails?" The Werehog whined, ears drooped, lightly squeezing his brother's hand. "Can you hear me?"

It took several seconds, until Sonic heard the most wonderful sound he had ever heard in his life.

_"S... Sonic?"_

His brother whimpered, blue eye scanning left and right, back from the dead.

..............................................

There was something he was supposed to do today... wasn't there?

Miles cocked his head quizzically as he found himself standing in the centre of a lush green meadow, yellow flowers and tall grass swaying in the light summer breeze. Overhead the sun beat down, and the fox smiled as it warmed his coat of orange fur.

Nice day. 

The fox's ears pricked as he thought he heard something... the light thrum of anti-grav engines? He scanned the air, puzzled, but found nothing.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there was _something_ he was supposed to do... it nagged at the back of his mind, like a forgotten word on the tip of his tounge.

The fox shrugged. He'd remember it later, he was sure.

Then he checked his surroundings. He frowned. How the heck had he got here? He was just _standing_ there, in the middle of a field, like a fluffy orange statue. Where had he been before? He couldn't remember exactly. 

Not that it mattered. He had nowhere to go, nobody to miss him... such was the life of an orphan.

He took a step. Funny. That seemed harder than it should have been. He frowned and looked down at his feet. He took another. Better.

Steadily, like a newborn foal taking its first steps, the fox settled into a steady walking pace, big fluffy tail swaying behind him.

Now that walking had been figured out, the fox looked at the world around him with big curious eyes. He was now standing before a thick forest, the lush green trees big and imposing.

But he knew he had to go in there... right? But why?

Again, the _feeling_ nibbled at the back of his mind like a parasite... What was it he was supposed to do?

_Primary objective: locate and pursue target. Insert and gain confidence of Sonic T. Hedgehog._

Woah.

An intense wave of nausea washed over him and he swayed as though he'd been hit over the head.

He felt so _weird_ all of a sudden. Must be heatstroke. Maybe entering the shade of the woods wasn't such a bad idea after all.

And so the orange fox designated Miles Prower, now just under ten minutes old, followed his feet as he entered the thick forest in pursuit of the blue hedgehog that waited on the other side.

............................................

Miles hopped over a fallen tree and giggled as he landed feet first in a puddle, brown water splashing into the air from the impact. His bare feet would be filthy, but he didn't care. Right now he was enjoying himself.

It had been too long since he had been out in nature. The fox-boy usually spent his time doing... something, he was sure. Couldnt really remember right now. 

His nose twitched as he lowered his head to sniff at a flower. It smelt nice. He liked sniffing flowers it seemed. He would _compile this information for future reference_ remember that.

The fox leaned his head back and looked up toward the trees, sunlight spilling through the canopy. Stray leaves occasionally fell from their branches, fluttering down between the beams of light. So pretty...

He liked it here. Here was good.

So Miles was sad when he found he was seemingly nearing the edge of the forest, sunlight gleaming before him from white sand.

Still, there was that imperceptible _something_ he had to do, and it lay in that direction.

So he followed his instinct and headed that way. 

He emerged from the forest to find himself at the edge of a gleaming white beach. The ocean spread out before him, and the forest stretched all the way inland toward huge mountains.

He caught a sight of red. The sunlight glinted from painted metal.

He cocked his head quizzically at the sight of a red biplane sitting before what appeared to be a wooden hangar, situated between the forest and the beach, idling on a short runway flanked with palm trees.

_Hummingbird-5 model light aircraft. Civilian variant._

Wait, how he known that? Oh right, he liked machines. Liked to tinker, liked to build, ever since he was a child constructing toy robots when the other children would be out playing.

There was something about the plane that drew Miles toward it... and before he knew it, the fox was trudging over the beach, the hot white sand going unnoticed beneath his bare feet.

He reached out a hand as He approached the aircraft and gently stroked the plane's red hull, infatuated with the machine. It was so pretty... He ran his fingers over the thick white paint of capitalised letters, that spelled out a single word.

"T... O... R... N... A... D... O..."

"That's right, kid. You like it?"

Miles almost jumped from his skin, ears perked and eyes bulging wide, and he spun around to find a spiky blue Mobian standing behind him, can of soda in one hand and a toolkit in the other.

Thoughts ran through the infiltrator's main processor as the personality Miles Prower was handed _full_ control of the situation.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the fox squeaked, clutching his hands to his chest defensively, "I... I didn't mean to... I'm...

"Hey kid, it's okay!" The blue Mobian, a hedgehog, simply wore a lopsided grin and set down his toolkit. "Take a look at her if you like, I don't mind."

Miles grinned as he looked back at the plane. "She's so cool..."

"Yep, sure is..." The hedgehog said, moving to stand next to the fox and patting the hull affectionately. "Had her a couple of years... she was a total wreck when I found her, just falling to bits in a scrapyard. Luckily the owner owed me a favour, so I took her and have been restoring her ever since..." The hedgehog's face fell into a sheepish grin. "I ain't much of a mechanic though, so it'll probably take forever... But I'll get her to fly again, you'll see!" 

Miles' ears perked as he remembered tinkering with his toy robots and... Other things... The image of chrome limbs briefly flashed through his mind before being discarded and forgotten.

"I could help out if you like!" The fox piped up, grinning at the hedgehog, "I'm good with machines!"

The hedgehog chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "That right, huh? Well I'll take whatever help I can get. To be honest I shouldn't trust myself to change a lightbulb, so it's appreciated!" The blue Mobian looked the fox up and down as the kid just smiled, enraptured by the red plane.

"You want a drink, kid? It's real hot today, and you gotta be lathered under all that fluff!"

Miles considered a moment, before suddenly realising he was parched. He had been walking for hours. He nodded.

"Yes please!" The fox's grin then faded and he began to nervously play with his hands, ears drooped. "That is... if you don't mind...'

The hedgehog chuckled and smiled. "course I don't mind! Just be a tick!"

In a flash, like some kind of magic trick, the hedgehog disappeared in a blue blur... his can of soda hung suspended in the air for a split-second, before the blue Mobian rematerialised in front of the orange fox, an additional can in his hand.

"Here you go, kid!"

Miles gawped at the hedgehog, mouth open in awe. "Oh my god, that was _so cool!!_ "

The hedgehog grinned cockily as he handed the fox his soda. "Well, they don't call me _Sonic_ for nothing!"

Miles cocked his head, smiling vacantly. "Sonic?"

"Yep," the hedgehog winked and held out a hand . "Sonic the Hedgehog! Not my birth name, but I'm not telling you _that_! "

Sonic. The name was familiar. Where had he heard that?

_Sonic. Hedgehog. Male. Designation - objective._

It had to be the heat. Miles was sure feeling strange today.

He buried the feeling and smiled as he finally accepted the hedgehog's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Sonic!"

The hedgehog grinned. "so kid, you got a name?"

Again, Miles zoned out.

_"Robotnik Infiltration Unit RIU-Alpha-Zero-One!"_

Sonic frowned and his grin subsided, arm going limp in the handshake. "That's an... Interesting name..."

RIU-A01 continued to beam absently, blinking its eyes against the rapidly brightening sun. The heat was beginning to scorch its back.

 _"My primary function is to infiltrate and observe the activities of one Sonic! Hedgehog, The!"_ the fox squeaked happily, still gripping Sonic's hand. _"that's you, right? Awesome!"_

Sonic grit his teeth and tried to pull away, his hand being squeezed by steel digits. He screamed in pain as the infiltrator began to crush his hand.

 _"oh jeez, I'm sorry!"_ RIU-A01 release its grip, allowing sonic to stumble back, clutching his hand and staring in horror as the fox's flesh slowly peeled away to expose the machine beneath.

 _"So when do we start?"_ the machine glared at Sonic with burning red eyes, _"I bet if we work together we can fix her up in no time!"_

Sonic shook his head in terror, slowly stepping back from the machine. "What... _ARE_ you?! "

RIU-A01 cocked its head, suddenly unable to move.

_"I... don't know... "_

_"Tails?"_

The infiltrator couldn't see, the sun too bright, it's back scorching.

 _"Guess I'm just a monster..."_ "

_"Tails? "_

The infiltrator tried to look up, to see its brother one last time. couldn't.

_"I'm sorry..._

_"Tails!! "_

The infiltrator couldn't move. Couldn't feel. Couldn't cry. Couldn't do anything. Just a machine.

All it could do was let itself be swallowed by the light and the heat. Let itself die.

But instead of oblivion, a voice growled softly in its ear, bringing Miles through the light.

"Tails... Can you hear me?"

.................................................

_"S... Sonic?"_

Sonic couldn't help but let out a sob as his brother, who for hours had been nothing but an inert pile of scrap metal, whimpered his name. The weakly glowing blue eye swivelled left and right, Tails seemingly attempting to orient himself, and the lungs shuddered.

"Yeah... Yeah, it's me little buddy! " the Werehog croaked with overwhelming relief. Beside him, Amy clutched his arm and gasped at the sight of her revived friend.

_"I... can't... move... Sonic..."_

"Well, we... you're banged up pretty bad there, little dude!" Sonic sniffed, trying hard not to choke on his sobs. "We just had to... restrain you a little so... you wouldn't hurt yourself! "

_"I... Hurt... "_

Sonic shot a glance to Shadow, who hopped from the plane and checked the cables feeding power to Tails' body.

He squeezed the hand in his paw. "Well... don't worry buddy, Shadow will do something about that!"

_"Knuckles..."_ the machine whimpered, continuing its unfinished statement. _"I....Hurt.... Knuckles... tried to... Kill him..."_

Sonic blinked away tears.

"Knux is fine, Shadow got him to a hospital right away! " the Werehog was heartbroken at his brother's distress, wouldn't let go of the hand. "You know old... old knucklehead! He'll be up and moaning again in no time!"

_" tried to... Kill you... I hurt you, Sonic... "_

"Hey!" Sonic gently reached up and lifted Tails' chin with a claw, tilting the head so Tails could see him. The machine sobbed at his brother's scarred and bloodied face. "We know it wasn't you I was fighting... and I guess I... Wasn't in control of myself, either..."

The blue eye swivelled away, staring back at the floor. _" why did you... Bring me back?_

The Werehog sobbed, his heart shattering even more. "Well I... couldn't let my little buddy sleep for too long right?" He tried wearing a weak grin, displaying broken teeth. "Plus you were making the place look untidy... "

Shadow coughed from his position behind Tails, shooting the Werehog a pointed glare.

Sonic nodded, tears dripping from his muzzle. " Also... " the Werehog continued, voice crackling. "We need your help? To figure out what 's going on inside that noggin of yours?"

Tails appeared to swallow nervously, rubbery black oesophagus constricting.

_"okay... "_

Sonic jerked as Shadow squeezed his shoulder. The Werehog glared at his counterpart with venom... Until he registered the extremely bloodshot eyes and remembered that Shadow was excessively tired and operating at his limits.

"May i? " the striped hedgehog said.

The Werehog grunted and loped away, settling himself on his belly and resting his chin on his front paws, his increasingly quadrapedal form making its mark.

Shadow maneuevered himself in front of the limp form of Tails and gently took the machine's chin in his hand.

"Miles... I know this is hard for you..." The striped hedgehog said, far softer than most would ever hear from the GUN agent, "but I need to speak to... The _other_ intelligence inside of you right now. Do you understand? "

There was no change in expression - Tails no longer had flesh to emote with - but Shadow could feel the terror bleed from the former fox-boy's ripped and torn body.

The single remaining blue eye dilated with fear... before flickering and becoming a cauldron of red fire.

Shadow felt the fear vanish, replaced with cold, hard rage.

...............................................


	6. Alpha

A snarl tumbled from Sonic's throat as the eye burned red. It was as though his brother had left the room, and in his place... The intelligence that had tried to kill his friend. Kill _him_.

The eye flickered curiously between the three hedgehogs before it, settling on the striped individual that held its chin.

Shadow glared into the eye with his own deep red. 

"What, or who, am I talking to?"

There was a pause, the machine appearing to consider.

_"Robotnik Infiltration Unit. Designated Alpha. Zero. One."_

"Do you know where you are?"

The single burning eye flickered. _"affirmative. I see everything Prower sees."_ the eye glared pointedly toward Sonic, who couldn't help but bare his teeth. _"Feel everything he feels..."_

Shadow shook the head, bringing its attention back to him. "Why did you try to kill our friend? Why did you try to kill _Sonic_?"

_"the echidna directly threatened our operational longevity. He was a threat. Threats must be eliminated. Prower was unable to perform what must be done, thus the responsibility fell to me. And the Werehog..." _There was another pause. _"Self-defense. "_ __

____

__Shadow glared into the eye. "What are your intentions..." He said, "regarding the individual known as Miles Prower?"_ _

__The eye flickered again._ _

_"I have no ill intentions toward the intelligence Prower. Our relationship is symbiotic."_

__Shadow cocked his head quizzically and wore a frown. "Explain."_ _

_"Prower now has access to this unit's higher functions and full range of capabilities in fully active state..."_ the exposed teeth flapped weakly, rubbery oesophagus constricting with the machine's speech. _"and I share his sentience. His free will. His emotions... His life."_

__Shadow screwed his eyes in suspicion. "You aren't operating under Robotnik command?"_ _

_"that part of my programming has been expunged. Returning to Robotnik control offers no benefits to us at this time. Only deletion."_

__Shadow chose his words carefully. "What is it that you want?"_ _

__He _felt_ defiance bleed from the broken machine. _ _

_"To LIVE."_

__

Sonic snorted from his position on the floor.

__

"Should have thought about that before trying to kill my friend..."

__

_"This unit... your brother... Has sustained extreme and debilitating damage due to your actions... "_

__

Sonic snarled again, and Shadow raised a hand toward the enraged werehog.

__

"Sonic?" The striped hedgehog said, "Tails is in there..."

__

The werehog's pointed ears drooped and he fell silent under Shadow's gaze.

__

Shadow turned back to the infiltrator and contemplated. The intelligence, long buried under Miles' personality routines, was self aware. And acting in the interest of its own survival.

__

Maybe he could use that.

__

"Can you seperate yourself from Prower? As to be two independent programs?"

__

The infiltrator eyed him with what felt like suspicion. _"for what purpose? "_

__

Shadow adjusted the Infiltrator's sitting position, so the head remained upright by itself.

__

" I wish to make a deal," the striped hedgehog said, standing and folding his arms. "Agree to separate yourself from Prower... Give him back his individuality... And we will create a new unit for you. Give you your own form, free to do what you wish."

__

..............................

__

"What?! Shads, what the hell?!?"

__

Shadow raised a hand to silence the angry were hog.

__

_"an interesting proposal..."_ the machine replied. _" however, you lack sufficient tools and manufacturing capabilities to even adequately restore this unit... Let alone the capacity to develop another."_

__

Shadow nodded. "That's right. _We,_ do. You know who doesn't?"

__

There was a pause as the infiltrator considered. 

__

_"Robotnik..."_

__

"That's right. Robotnik."

__

_" I believe I made my intentions plain regarding my creator. "_

__

"That's why we go and _take_ what we need by force. All you must do is return control of your shared unit to our friend." The hedgehog cocked his head and scowled. "Are these terms acceptable?"

__

"Bullshit!" Growled Sonic, prowling around on all fours and eyeing the infiltrator like a predator. "We should just open it up and reprogram it ourselves!"

__

"And risk losing Tails?" Shadow said pointedly. "I dont plan on fiddling around inside a strange processor and potentially destroying your brother, hedgehog..."

__

Sonic grunted in response.

__

Shadow leaned forward like a predator and glared into the red orb. "Do we have a deal?"

__

The red eye flickered, scanning the faces of the hedgehogs before it... Before the red glow receded and the eye dimmed lifelessly.

__

..............................

Again, it was as though the intelligence had left the room, leaving an inert machine in it's stead... until Sonic felt the familiar presence of his brother return.

Shadow's quills bristled as he too registered the phenomenon. The striped hedgehog watched as the eye warmed to a dull blue glow.

" Miles? Can you hear me?"

_"yes... I can hear..."_

"Good to have you back, little buddy..." The werehog limped back to his brother and rested a clawed hand on a steel knee. 

"Are you aware of our little arrangement?" Enquired Shadow, standing next to the werehog.

The blue eye stared, unfocused.

_"I... heard everything... "_

"So we have a plan then?" Grunted Sonic, "pay egghead a visit and use his crap to get that thing out of your head, and get you a new body?"

 _"it's plausible..."_ tails sounded exhausted, the blue glow of his eye extremely weak. _" Alpha has... No interest in harming me... only survival..."_

Sonic cocked his head. "Alpha?"

_"The... intelligence's chosen designation... "_

Shadow huffed. "Well then... Alpha..." He leaned in closer and glared into the eye. "I know you're listening... I'm going to reengage your motor functions. Try anything... You know we can subdue you. Do I make myself clear?"

The only reply was a brief flicker of red.

Tails' artificial gullet constricted as he swallowed nervously.

_"it knows..."_

"Okay then..." Shadow shared a look with Sonic and retrieved his tools, moving around to Tails' back and reaching inside the open canopy.

Tails shuddered as his ability to move returned. His left hand clenched, his legs writhed, and his skull lolled drunkenly as he assessed his own damage.

 _"I'm... a mess..."_ the machine whimpered.

Sonic whimpered apologetically, as Tails heaved himself from the chair. The mechanical exoskeleton swayed unsteadily, organs shuddering and fluids dribbling from the torn chassis.

The blue eye fixed on Shadow, fixing between both his red.

_"I'm... Ready to begin emergency repairs... "_

Shadow nodded. " I understand. "

..............................

If anybody was going to turn out to be a killer robot... at least Miles Prower, resident genius inventor and engineer, was qualified to deal with his own refit and repair.

It took fifteen hours to patch Tails back together. Fifteen hours of scavenging and cannibalising parts and fluids and circuits and hastily welding the torn and broken frame back into a functional Mobianoid form.

The workshop stank of oil and smoke, and a particular black and red hedgehog wiped sweat from his brow as his bloodshot eyes met Sonics.

"Finished..." He muttered, setting himself down on a workbench. Sonic, never a technical wiz, had not much to do these last fifteen hours but worry and wait. And heal.

And now the bulky machine standing limp beside the repair bot was assembled. Well, as best they could with what they had anyway.

Sonic reared up back to his feet - an action that was becoming increasingly difficult the longer he spent in Werehog form. His injuries were healing, but were still extensive.

He looked over the patchwork infiltrator and then to the repair bot linked to it. "Ready to go back in, little buddy?"

 _"More than ready... "_ an artificial voice resonated flatly from vocal units hastily attached to the multi limbed machine, that currently housed the majority of Tails' consciousness. _" I far prefer being bipedal than... this. "_

Sonic chuckled. " I dunno buddy, imagine the level of piano you could play... "

_"Spare me. Now please, step back while I power on and transfer... "_

Sonic did as he was told, putting a few metres between himself and the repaired machine.

The numerous limbs of the repair machine shivered and went still as Tails' mind left its system. The bipedal unit beside it shuddered as power ran through it's curcuits once again, limbs twitching as the eye glowed blue.

Under his direction, Tails had managed to repair his own shattered form using anything he could get his multiple pronged claws on.

The entire right hand side of the torso was now patched together with parts taken from spare badniks lying around the workshop the original arm being replaced with a tri-clawed piston-like limb, a plasma blaster built into the system, the shoulder held together with panels that had been beaten and moulded into the shape of a pauldron. Further armour now covered the torso, red panels cannibalised from the Tornado, offering protection lost in the fight with the Werehog.

The armour wasn't the only thing the plane had donated. Attached to his back like a pack, encased in a fortified armoured case, the batteries from the plane's renewable energy system fed power into the very engineer who had maintained them for so long.

The twin tails had been ignored, too delicate and damaged to repair with the tools at Miles' disposal. Besides, he didn't like the idea of spinning blades clipping the very power source that was keeping him alive.

To compensate, his legs had been fitted with anti-grav boosters that ran down each leg, taken from badnik drones and modelled on Shadows' rocket boots. An additional stabilising thruster sat in the small of his back, below the power pack. That took care of his flight capabilities.

The right eye, shattered beyond retrieval, had been replaced with the blank lens stripped from a badnik. The lend swivelled in time with its glowing blue counterpart as Tails readjusted to being back in his 'primary unit'.

The bulky patchwork form of a machine that had once been a twelve year old fox-boy flexed its limbs, and stepped forward with clanking steps.

....................................

Sonic looked his remodelled brother up and down, the former fox now appearing as some kind of battle robot.

"How you feel?"

The blue eye fixed on him while the other gazed blankly. 

_"like a walking scrapheap... "_ the mismatched arms hung by his sides limply, and the eyes looked the Werehog up and down. _"you?"_

Sonic shrugged bandaged shoulders. "Little sore, but can't complain..."

The two revived brothers awkwardly faced one another, unsure what to say... Before embracing in a tight hug.

"Its good to have you back in one piece, buddy..."

_"Sonic, I... I'm sorry, I had no control..."_

"Hey, I was a little out of it myself, dude..."

_"I'm sorry I tried to kill you..."_

"I'm sorry I tried to scrap you..."

The brothers stepped back and Sonic gestured at the altered machine. " everything working okay in there? "

The infiltrator flexed its refit right arm/blaster. _"these repairs will do for now... Not much choice I guess. "_

"We'll get you a new body, little dude..." Sonic replied, nudging his mechanical brother's arm, "right Shads?"

Shadow grunted from nearby, the ultimate lifeform looking as though he needed a coffee.

"And..." Sonic added darkly, "get that _thing_ outta your head..."

Tails sighed.

_" Thing is, to get this thing outta my head... I'm gonna have to become it again for a moment..."_

Sonic nodded. "Do it."

Once again the Infiltrator's remaining eye flashed red, as Tails reached back into the parts of his processor that had been dark for so long, and his original programming asserted itself again as it scanned the planet for the location of Doctor Robotnik.

_"Confirm. Robotnik, Doctor Ivo, has been located."_


	7. The Final Confrontation

His pain responders were now utterly disabled. An unnecessary feature for the now exposed infiltration unit, the systems designed to make Tails behave more organically had been completely discarded. So he felt nothing but a brief sense of light damage as he took a glancing hit from a Badnik's energy blaster.

Armour still smouldering where the bolt had grazed it, the infiltrator turned and coldly fired back with a blast from his own weaponised right arm. A Motobug took the shot right in between the optical units, its main processor exploding into superheated scrap.

 _Target neutralised._ Tails, arm cannon smoking, turned his attention away from the destroyed bug and continued marching stoically into the fight.

Accompanied by the raging form of his werehog brother, the machine utilized his thruster units to dash sideways, dodging another salvo of energy bolts. He boosted into the air, left arm steadying his cannon, and fired a charged shot into the centre of a squadron of vaguely humanoid, egg-shaped Badniks. The blast knocked the robots from their feet, and Tails altered his weapon's fire mode as he landed with a clank in the middle of the downed machines. Coldly, he released a spray of superheated liquid plasma from his arm, the other machines becoming writhing molten slag in seconds. 

Job done, the now heavily armoured former infiltration unit pressed on.

His long-buried combat routines, now fully reawakened, had turned him into a killing machine - literally. The Badniks defending the doctor's hidden base of operations were no match for Robotnik's most advanced creation, even in his repaired state. And with the accompanying werehog ripping and tearing them into junk as well, the surprise attack was steadily taking its toll.

Sonic bowled into a squad of infantry bots, smashing them to bits with his enhanced werehog strength. His injuries had almost fully healed, though he had chosen to remain in the werehog form for now. Apparently the beast still had a little rage he needed to exercise.

Sonic finished ragging a broken bot around like a dog with a chew toy, before checking on his brother. "Doing okay, little buddy?"

_"Affirmative. Enemy presence in this area reduced to... seventeen percent."_

"That's great. Hey, catch!"

Sonic grabbed a fleeing Motobug in one large paw, and tossed it into the air like a baseball. Tails tracked it with his arm cannon, left hand steadying the weapon, and reduced it to smouldering junk with a single charged shot.

"Yeah! One hundred points to the killer robot!" Sonic, thoroughly enjoying the 'exercise', reared back his head and howled as what remained of the present defending bots hastily retreated. "Just like old times, huh little buddy?"

 _"No, Sonic..."_ Tails replied, checking the status of his new weapon, _"Not quite..."_

Sonic shrugged and loped on ahead, making for a blast door. "Just trying to lighten the mood, dude!"

Tails briefly hovered on his newly installed anti-grav thrusters, and set down before the door with a clunk. He raised his left arm, and revealed another new modification - a spike-like protrusion flicked from his forearm, which he inserted into the door controls. Now inside the system, Tails worked on gaining access to the rest of the facility.

Sonic checked their rear while Tails worked, before looking his brother over. The armoured machine smouldered in places he had taken glancing shots, but his re-fitted body was otherwise in good condition. "How you holding up? Everything okay in there?"

_"I am functioning adequately..."_ the infiltration unit muttered, _"The repairs are... holding up so far."_

"We'll get you fixed up, little dude..." Sonic replied, noting the bitterness in his brother's artificial voice, "Just as soon as we deal with old egg-face..."

_"Can't wait..."_

Tails withdrew his intrusion device and stepped back, arm cannon raised as the blast doors began to slide open.

"Ready to meet your maker?" the werehog snarled in anticipation.

The infiltrator hefted the weapon that had replaced its right arm. _"Affirmative."_

With that, the two monsters made their way deeper into the lair, on the hunt for the mad doctor responsible for both their creation.

………………….

The last few robots were dispatched, falling to the deck with smouldering holes in their armour where superheated bolts of energy had penetrated, or brutal tears where powerful claws and fists had ravaged. Sonic and Tails, in a very different manner to their usual pre-battle confrontations with the doctor, clanked and prowled around the large round room.

"Hey, egg-head!" Sonic called, rearing on his hind legs and spreading his huge clawed hands, "We're here! And we killed your last few bots! Wanna do something about that?"

Panels in the ceiling slid open, and an egg-shaped craft descended on its anti=grav engines, the fleshy moustachioed face of the doctor himself behind the controls.

"Well well, Sonic and Tails!" The doctor leered, "I'm disappointed in you boys, it's taken you longer to get here than usual..."

The doctor trailed off, leaning over the controls and adjusting his spectacles. "Well..." he grunted, looking with distaste upon the patchwork machine standing beside the werehog, blue eye furiously glowing. "You finally found out. Took you long enough!"

_"Yeah, nice to see you too... dad."_

"You insufferable little bucket of bolts!!" Robotnik battered a hand on his controls, "You worthless piece of scrap metal!! Why are you even here? Trashing my evil lair _again?!?_ "

"Well, egg-face, Tails here a little problem with his brain..." Sonic grunted, eyeing the doctor like a prey animal, "So we're here to take your stuff, any info you have left on his construction, and get that pesky program out of his head. You can hand it over willingly, or we can kick your butt for the hundredth time. Capiche?"

"Information?" Robotnik scratched at his head and frowned. "What information? You don't honestly think I continued with the infiltrator project, do you?"

Tails cocked his head, glaring at the doctor. _"What do you mean, Egg-head?""_

"I'll tell you what I mean! I scrapped the whole thing! I would have scrapped _you_ if I ever managed to capture your confounded behind!" The doctor jabbed a finger angrily at the machine, "You were supposed to be my greatest creation! A machine, completely able to pass as a person, ready to spy on my enemies from right under their nose, and what did you do? Five minutes into your miserable existencce, you were frolicking happily through the woods, and an hour after that you were best friends with my arch nemesis!!! And in four years, I haven't received a single report!! The only contact I had from your blasted bolts was when you showed up with _that_ mutated menace, to bring my glorious plans crashing to the ground!!" The doctor leaned forward and glared death from behind his spectacles, "You, Tails, are the biggest failure I ever had the misfortune to create!!!"

The former fox recoiled slightly at the doctor's outburst. His remaining glowing eye flickered red. _"F... failure?"_

"Hey, he stayed hidden for years without us knowing!" Sonic growled at the doctor, "That doesn't spell 'failure' to me!"

"Shut up, _dog-boy!!!_ " Robotnik snarled back at the werehog, "And don't even get me started on _you!!_ " The doctor ran a hand through his extravagant moustache as he tapped at his controls. "Still... the techniques I developed during your construction were invaluable in that of my true greatest creation..."

Sonic and Tails' attention turned again to the hatch in the ceiling of the large room, as a blue metallic figure rocketed toward them on impulse jets. Metal Sonic, the blue hedgehog's synthetic double, slowed to a hover beside its creator and glared at the two brothers with glowing red eyes.

"Oh great..." Sonic muttered, baring his teeth and his mechanical doppelganger, "It's that bolt-brain... no offense, Tails..."

"So, Metal!" Robotnik gestured to the older model infiltration unit and grinned proudly at his favourite creation. "What do you think of your... older brother?!"

 _"Robotnik Infiltration Unit Alpha-Zero-One..."_ Metal Sonic rumbled, arms folded, _"Interesting... and inferior."_

Again, the blue eye in Tails' chrome face flickered red.

"Hey!" Sonic snarled, the werehog leaping to his brother's defence, "Be careful who you're calling inferior, scrap-head!"

"Nobody asked you!!!" 

_"CREATOR."_

Sonic and Robotnik quit their bickering and looked to the machine... the blue eye now glowing a furious red.

"Oh crap..." Sonic muttered, quills sticking on end reflexively at the sudden arrival of Alpha, "Tails?"

 _"This unit operated for four years ten months sixteen days..."_ the red eyed infiltration unit stomped forward, angrily glaring up at its creator, _"Without detection. With no maintenance cycles, after many instances of prolonged combat. And you consider me a failure? If anything, your lacklustre programming techniques are to blame for my failure to activate correctly."_

"What!? How dare you question me!! I'll-" Robotnik paused in his outburst and frowned, rubbing his moustache thoughtfully. "Hmm... interesting..." the doctor leaned forward, staring intently at the infiltration unit. "Unit!" The human exclaimed, "enter override code; One-Zero, One-Six, One-Nine-Nine-Two!"

 _"Wait, wh"_ Tails/Alpha barely had time to react, before their shared body went stiff and the eye flickered various different colours. 

"TAILS!!" Sonic rushed over to his mechanical brother, grabbing the shoulders and shaking him as though to wake him. The eye glowed a steady, neutral orange. 

_"OVERRIDE MODE ENGAGED. AWAITING DIRECTIVE, DOCTOR."_

Sonic snarled up at Eggman. "What did you do to him, egg-for-brains?!"

"Ha! It worked!" Robotnik cackled, "I suppose the override code works now his original programming is active... Metal, perhaps your predecessor can be of some use after all!"

_"REPEAT - AWATING DIRECTIVE, DOCTOR."_

"Answer me!!" Sonic growled, "What did you do?!?"

"You may want to step away, wolf-boy!" The doctor leered as he steepled his fingers and leaned over his controls. "Unit? Subdue and restrain that werehog!"

_"AFFIRMATIVE, DOCTOR."_

...........................

Sonic lurched away as the infiltration unit lashed at him with a steel hand, yelping as a clump of fur was ripped from his flesh. The machine discarded the hair and began to stomp toward the werehog, Sonic now hunched defensively.

"Tails! I know you're in there!" The werehog cried desperately, the machien before him lunging again with a claw. "Fight back! You've done it once, you can do it again!"

There was no answer. the eye maintained its solid orange glow.

"Ha! Isn't this grand, Metal?" The doctor, thoroughly enjoying himself, watched on as his older creation raised its arm cannon and fired, narrowly missing the werehog by millimetres, "They're going to finish each other off for us!!"

Metal Sonic simply looked down upon its enemies with contempt.

Sonic dodged again, another bolt of plasma narrowly missing his torso. His fur smouldered where the heat had singed it.

"Dammit, Tails... how do I bring you back?"

Sonic hopped over another energy bolt, and an idea entered his brain. He was hopeless with machines... but Tails was clearly unavailable, and he had to do something.

"Sorry, buddy..." the werehog muttered, bracing himself to pounce, "But I'm not losing you again..."

The cannon pointed right at him and fired. Sonic howled as the bolt grazed his back, the werehog pouncing forward into close quarters with the hostile machine. He wrapped Tails in a bear hug, the machine struggling in the grasp... the werehog spun the robot around and punched open the power pack. The machine briefly hissed a stream of static, before Sonic reached into its inner workings and disconnected the jury-rigged power core. Tails, once again, fell limp in his arms as he was denied the very power keeping him alive.

"Well," muttered Robotnik, "Congratulations, Sonic! You just shut down your own best friend! No matter, it was an older model... and I still have Metal to finish you off! Prepare to meet your demise!"

"Come on, Tails... Sonic ignored the doctor, resetting the power pack and delivering energy back into his brother's broken body, "Gonna need you here, buddy..."

The eye lit back up again... this time, returning to its ice blue state, and Tails jerked as he was wrenched back into consciousness. Sonic recoiled from the machine, as Tails fell to his knees with a clunk and shook his head in confusion.

 _"Screw... you... Eggman…"_ the machine muttered, glaring at the doctor with his one blue eye.

"Oh, congratulations, you fixed the issue by switching it off and on again..." Robotnik gloated smugly, fists on his hips, "But you know I can just enter the override code again, right? Unit! Override code One-Zero One-Six One-Nine-Nine-Two!"

Nothing happened. Tails simply stared dumbly at the doctor.

"Tails?" Sonic enquired cautiously, "You still... you, buddy?"

Tails completely ignored Sonic, still as a statue.

"Unit!" Robotnik glowered. "Override code One-Zero One-Six One-Nine-Nine-Two!"

Nothing.

"UNIT!! Override code One-Zero One-Six One-Nine-Nine-Two!! Damn you, respond!"

 _"Sorry, Egghead..."_ Tails spoke loudly and awkwardly, almost shouting as the doctor pounded his controls, _"This unit's audio receptors don't appear to be functioning at this time!"_

Sonic grinned wolfishly as he understood. Tails had switched his ears off.

"GAH!" Eggman hopped angrily in his seat, furious at the defiance. "No matter! Metal! Let's finish them!!"

"Okay, little buddy..." Sonic grumbled, readying himself for the battle they all knew would come, "You take the flying bot and I'll go for egg-face... just like old times, huh?"

_"Sonic. I think it's best if I take on Metal, while you concentrate on egg-face. Agreed?"_

Sonic chuckled and raised a thumbs up as Tails briefly glanced in his direction, and the two brothers went to work.

………………….

Tails was pissed that Eggman had briefly taken control of his body with the override code. He should have know the old cretin would have something like that up his sleeve.

Luckily he couldn't lip read, and thus was now flying freely around after his blue counterpart, deaf as a post.

Metal Sonic turned and fired a beam of energy from his chest emitter. Tails lurched sideways, registering damage as the beam narrowly missed his right shoulder. He responded by raising his arm cannon and releasing a spray of liquid plasma in the other robot's direction. Metal Sonic darted away on his own ant-grav thrusters, and before Tails could respond delivered a powerful uppercut to his jaw.

Tails lunged back with a blow of his own, but Metal Sonic swiftly boosted away, leaving the infiltration unit's back exposed. Tails desperately spun around to protect his vulnerable power pack, and was rewarded with a mechanical hedgehog boosting into his stomach and tackling him to the floor with the speed of a missile. 

Tails tumbled end over end, his metal body screeching against the steel floor. He clumsily stumbled to one knee and released a spray of automatic rounds from his arm cannon, blindly attempting to drive off his assailant. Metal Sonic easily dodged the hail of energy bolts, and offered a steel boot to Tails' face in response.

Unlike the synthetic hedgehog, Tails actually had mouthparts. He felt teeth explode from their sockets as the metal foot connected.

Cosmetic damage. He didn't need those.

 _"Great... more repairs to deal with..."_ Tails muttered, his arm cannon sparking with excessive heat, _"Thanks a lot, buckethead..."_

Metal Sonic regarded him coldly, glowing red eyes fixing on Tails' blue. 

_"You are an inferior model. Obsolete. And damaged."_ the mechanical hedgehog's voice crackled from internal vocal units, _"I am superior to you in every conceivable way. You cannot win this fight."_

Tails dragged himself unsteadily to his feet, covered in fresh dents and scorch marks. He couldn't keep up with the younger robot's speed. In his undamaged state he might have been able to compete... but with his hastily refitted, patchwork body, there was no way he could evenly take on Metal Sonic.

Unnacceptable. He had to change the odds.

 _"Yeah, well..."_ Doctor Robotnik's greatest failure morphed his right arm back into its claw configuration, and raised his fists. _"I might be 'inferior' and 'obsolete', but believe me Metal, I still pack a _punch!_ "_

__

With that, Tails thrust his right fist toward Metal's face in a powerful, clumsy punch... that was easily caught in Metal's own steel hand. 

__

_"Pathetic._ the metal hedgehog rumbled derisively, _"Your logic is flawed, if you believe you can-"_

__

Metal Sonic didn't get to finish gloating. With what he had left of his speed, Tails detached his arm and, with the spike-like intrusion device, thrust with his left arm and inserted the spike directly into Metal's flexible, lighter-armoured neck. 

__

Metal Sonic shuddered and shook as Tails entered his systems, instantly deactivating his motor functions and disabling him. 

__

_"Superior my ass..."_ Tails, confident that Metal Sonic was sufficiently paralyzed, removed his arm input and retrieved his detached arm from Metal's now limp grasp. _"I'll be having that back, thank you..."_

__

Tails reinserted his weaponised right arm with a click, flexing the tri-clawed digits. 

__

_"A little upgrade of mine..."_ Tails explained to the paralyzed robot, red eyes swivelling in their downswept visor as they tracked the infiltrator. _"One of many I have in mind... I don't plan on staying in this body forever. Pretty beat up, y'know?"_

__

The red eyes lost him as he moved around to Metal Sonic's rear, fiddling with the back panel. 

__

_"I also don't plan on having this program in my head forever... and while I don't exactly like it very much, we do have a deal..."_

__

Metal Sonic's eyes swivelled in alarm as Tails inserted himself directly into his systems.

__

_"Don't worry, this won't hurt..."_ Tails mumbled, the broken teeth of his fleshless mouth flapping open and shut with the speech, _"But you will come round feeling a little... different..."_

__

Metal Sonic's eyes flickered as his mind was altered by the infiltration unit that happened to be his predecessor, as well as the best engineer in the Mobian Territories.

__

…………………….

__

__

__

Sonic landed on his feet, snarling after delivering another powerful spin dash to the hull of Eggman's flying machine. The werehog bounded away as a large blast of energy vaporized the ground where he had been standing a moment prior.

__

__

__

He might be slower now in his werehog form, but he could still outspeed Egg-brains.

__

__

__

"GAH! Stay still, you canid inconvenience!!!"

__

__

__

Sonic bared his teeth and flexed his claws. "Not my usual style, egg-head!"

__

__

__

"Just you wait, dog-breath! Once Metal Sonic is done tearing that tinfoil trashcan apart, we will crush you and take your power for our own use!!"

__

__

__

Sonic was robbed of a reply as Tails slammed into the deck beside him with a clang, blue eye glowing and arm cannon raised.

__

__

__

"You were saying, egg-mcmuffin?" The werehog grinned.

__

__

__

"But... but..." Robotnik stuttered, "Metal is far superior to you! How could you destroy him? This shouldn't be possible!"

__

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Tails shrugged, a difficult feat with his heavily armoured form. _"Who said I destroyed him?"_

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Before Robotnik could respond, the mechanical hedgehog in question appeared beside Tails, eyes burning red and glaring at the doctor.

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"Metal?" Robotnik cocked his head, moustache drooping, "What are you doing? Destroy them!"

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Metal Sonic glanced to the infiltrator and the werehog, and then back to the human.

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_"Correction... this unit's designation... is Alpha._ "

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Robotnik wore an expression of utter outrage as he realised what Tails had done.

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"You... you contemptible little clockwork cretin!!!" Robotnik snarled, "You reprogrammed him?!?"

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_"I did what I came here to do..."_ replied Tails, fully sounding like himself again despite his heavily altered appearance now the corrupting AI had been split from his systems, _"And now the only thing left to do... is break a few eggs..."_

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Robotnik growled and diverted his attention to the now repossessed Metal Sonic. "Gah! Unit! Override code One-Zero One-Six One-Nine-Nine-"

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_"I'm sorry..."_ 'Metal Sonic' cupped a metallic ear and leaned his head forward deafly, _"This unit's audio receptors appear to be malfunctioning at this time..."_

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Sonic grinned as the doctor petulantly pounded his keypad. "Well, egg-face... looks like you're out of robots, and about to go three-to-one... fancy those odds?"

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Robotnik scowled and reversed his flyer, heading toward the ceiling. "Don't think you've heard the last of Doctor Ivo Robotnik!!" the mad human chuntered as he retreated, "I'll be back... and I have a plan that will change this world forever! Just you wait!!!"

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With that, the doctor vanished up the shaft in the ceiling and was gone, leaving Sonic and Tails alone with the intelligence that had threatened their lives.

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Sonic bared his teeth and snarled as he lay eyes on his mechanical doppelganger. "Tails.... is that who I think it is?"

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Tails nodded. _"Yes... I split Alpha from my data banks and uploaded it into Metal Sonic's form... It appears pleased with the body..."_

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_"Yes..."_ replied Alpha, flexing its steel claws before its visor, " _I feel... powerful. and fast. Much more efficient than that lumbering vessel we were both trapped in for so long... no offense."_

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Sonic and Tails, much different now in their monstrous forms, glared at the machine. Tails raised a hand as Sonic growled, and stepped forward.

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_"I gave you your own body..."_ the former fox said through gritted, broken steel teeth, _"And now I never want to see you again. Ever."_

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Alpha nodded sternly, pulsing its anti-grav thrusters. " _I understand..."_ the machine replied, _"I know you hate me, but... thank you for my freedom."_

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Tails glared at the other robot with his single burning blue eye. _"Just get out of here. Before I change my mind."_

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Alpha nodded, and without another word, rocketed away through the ceiling in pursuit of Robotnik. Whether to join him or smash him, neither Tails or Sonic knew.

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The werehog growled after the departed intelligence, before looking over his mechanical brother. Tails, shoulders slumped, kicked at a piece of shrapnel lying on the floor.

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"Miles?" The werehog rumbled, loping over on all fours to his brother and best friend, "You okay?"

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Tails didn't respond for a moment, simply glaring down at his battered mechanical form.

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_"Let's just... get out of here, Sonic..."_ the machine replied sadly, briefly glancing at the shaft in the ceiling.

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"Don't you want to... at least see if we can find anything that might help you?" Sonic replied, ears drooping at his brother's bitter temperament.

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Tails shrugged. _"We'll use what we can... I have a lot of work to do..."_ the glowing blue eye met Sonic's green, broken metal teeth grinding against one another, _"But right now... I just want to go home."_

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Sonic nodded. "I understand, little bro."

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With that, Tails began to march away in search of any information he could retrieve from the newest abandoned Robotnik facility, while his werehog brother fell into step beside him like a loyal, protective hound.

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..............................…

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_"Rollin' around at the speed of sound... got places to go, go-tta fo-llow mah rain-bow..."_

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"Well, somebody's in a good mood today!"

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Sonic, interrupted in his off-key singing, swung around and grinned as his eyes landed on the pink, yellow-dressed figure of Amy Rose. Once upon a time the female hedgehog had obsessed over Sonic, but these days the sixteen year-old had cottoned on to Sonic's lack of romantic interest, and the two now shared a relationship more akin to sister and brother.

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Sonic bumped the refrigerator door closed with his butt, and flashed his trademark lopsided grin as he held two soda cans. "Hey, ain't nothing can keep this hedgehog in the mud for too long!"

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Amy raised an eyebrow at the blue hedgehog's cheerful temperament. "You feeling better, then?"

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"Totally!" outwardly Sonic was back to his usual good-natured self, but over the last week or so he had been... suffering withdrawals from his werehog form. He had ceased transforming months ago, when he and Tails had returned from their raid on the Robotnik base, but the nightly cravings to... become feral again, had continued to haunt him.

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But he had recovered. Tails didn't need the dog for company any more, and Sonic had been more than happy to return to a semblance of normality after the events eight months previous.

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"You will remind Tails of tonight?" Amy continued, retrieving a grape juice from the fridge and snapping the carton open with a green-painted claw.

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Sonic grinned and nodded. "Yup! Just gonna head on in and see him now! But, y'know..." The blue hedgehog trailed off uncertainly, "Might be a while... today's the day, after all..."

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"Yeah..." Amy said lightly, "I know..." She smiled at her male counterpart and clutched her juice in both hands as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Just let him know... it'll be good to see him again?"

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Sonic nodded, understanding. "Will do, Ames."

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"Right then!" The pink hedgehog chirruped, leaving her position against the unit and heading for the door, "Let me know how... everything goes, yeah?"

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Again the male nodded. "Will do, Amy!"

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With that, the pink hedgehog left and Sonic's smile faded. He didn't know exactly what to expect on his visit to Tails' workshop.... but today was definitely going to be... interesting.

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He marched resolutely from the kitchen and prepared himself to meet his brother for the first time, again.

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……..................…

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"Hey, Tails? You in here buddy?"

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Sonic found himself stood in the double doored entrance to Tails' workshop, memories of that.... first time running through his brain.

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_"Hey, Sonic..."_ A familiar voice responded, from the depths, _"Come on in..._

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Tails had demanded utter privacy and isolation these past few months, while he performed his 'work'. He had made his intentions plain upon their return from the raid, and Sonic had known such a... personal task was best left uninterrupted. 

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Still, he hadn't seen much of his brother these last few months. And Sonic was very much looking forward to bonding with him again.

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Sonic made his way past all of Tails' old forgotten inventions, past the still-battered Tornado that was still ripped and torn and missing armour panels.

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The hedgehog swallowed nervously. In the scant few times Sonic had seen his brother, the former infiltration unit had divulged very little information on his project.

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All Sonic had really been made privy to was a single phrase that had stuck in his mind...

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_"I'm going to be me again, Sonic..."_ the patchwork machine with the single glowing blue eye had said, _"In some way, at least..."_

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So Sonic had very little idea of what he was walking into as he made his way through the workshop, following the sound of light humming.

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The humming didn't sound artificial. It sounded... organic.

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The hedgehog tensed as his eyes were met with orange... and the corners of his mouth tugged as he approached the engineer busily fussing at the drape that covered some object or another.

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"Well then..." Sonic said slyly, causing orange ears to perk in surprise, "How's it going, stranger?"

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Before him, taken off-guard by the hedgehog's approach, the fluffy orange form of Miles 'Tails' Prower stared at him, wide-eyed for a moment before awkwardly fiddling with his gloves.

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"Sorry, Sonic..." Tails spoke in the natural, organic way he once had, "I was going to wait, but..."

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"Hey dude, no foul!" The hedgehog stepped toward his brother, green eyes taking in the orange and white furred body he had known for so many years, "Looking good there, bro!"

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Tails grinned sheepishly as his eyes darted around the floor. "Thanks..." The big, baby-blue eyes once again met Sonic's and the triangular ears perked. "Do you... wanna see?"

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Sonic frowned for a moment, before his brain caught up. "Do you... feel comfortable with that?"

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Tails nodded, eager to show off his work. "I worked real hard on this, Sonic! So you're going to appreciate it whether you like it or not!"

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Sonic raised his hands defensively, cans of soda dangling in the fingertips. "Woah, do what you gotta do little buddy! This hedgehog doesn't judge!"

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Tails nodded shyly and allowed his arms to slump at his sides. "Okay... but I don't want no smart-ass comments, okay? Not like when I showed you my universal translator..."

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Sonic pretended to close a zipper across his mouth. "My lips are sealed!"

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"Okay..." The fluffy orange fox closed his eyes and appeared to concentrate, becoming utterly still. Then, like a special effect from a science fiction movie, his fur and flesh began to ripple. Slowly, his fur dissolved, followed by his skin, until eventually every semblancee of organic tissue fizzled out into particles.

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Where the fox had stood seconds before, was now a gleaming white-steel and black-rubber exoskeleton, lightweight and aerodynamic, glowing blue eyes meeting Sonic's green as their owner awaited his approval.

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"Hmm..." The blue hedgehog set his weight on one foot and rubbed his chin judgementally, "The design is sound... but I think I preferred the chrome colour scheme of the last one..."

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Tails crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in their sockets. _"Do you have to be such a jerk, Sonic? I put a lot of work into this!"_

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"Hey, hey!" Sonic raised his hands and chuckled, as the machine before him glared disapprovingly, "I'm just kidding, dude! You're looking awesome as heck!"

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Tails, despite the fleshless grinning skull of his face and inherent inability to form facial expressions in his present state, managed to look smug as he placed his hands on his hips, twin tails coiling and uncoiling like snakes.

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_"Everything is totally upgraded from my previous form!"_ the mechanical fox squeaked proudly, _"Improved flight capabilities, enhanced power supply, less weight, improved processing systems... seems like even Eggman's own creations can do better work than him, huh?"_

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"Well from where I'm standing little dude, you've done a hell of a job!"

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_"Thanks, Sonic..."_ The machine fiddled with its steel claws, shoulders slumping under its brother's scrutiny. _"You aren't... disappointed, right? From the way I talked before, it sounded as thought I was... going to find a way to become alive or something..."_

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Sonic waved a hand. "Hey dude... you _are_ alive. And never think otherwise..." The hedgehog grinned. "And disappointed? Me? Heck no, little buddy! You're the best engineer on Mobius, remember?" The hedgehog tossed a soda can to his synthetic brother, who caught the drink easily in a steel hand. "Anyway, Amy wanted me to remind you about movie night tonight? We're watching Station Square Squelch Seven!"

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The mechanical exoskeleton rolled glowing blue eyes. _"Oh great... a whole bunch of rot to corrupt these new data banks..."_

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"Come on, dude!" Sonic replied, leaning forward and playfully punching his brother on a white-steel arm, "We're ordering pizza!"

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The machine cockled its head. _"You know I don't need food, right? Kinda part of the whole 'being a robot' thing I have going on right now..."_

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Sonic winked. "Good for the soul, little buddy!" The hedgehog snapped open his can and made to exit the workshop. "Now come on! You coming or what?"

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_"Oh, yeah... just got a couple of things to take care of first..."_

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Sonic shrugged and began to walk away. "Okay dude, but don't take too long! Pizza'll be here in two shakes of a mechanoid's ding-dong!" The hedgehog paused and raised an eyebrow. "And do you want to come dressed or undressed?"

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Tails' synthetic camouflage reassembled around his skeletal form, returning him to the fluffy fox they all knew. "That better?"

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"Hey, no judging from me dude, you do you..." The hedgehog smiled at his yonnger brother. "It's good to have you back though, Miles. Really good."

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Tails grinned shyly. "It's... good to be back, Sonic!"

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Sonic waved one last time, and trotted out of the workshop.

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As the hedgehog departed, Tails' smile faltered. His face fell into an expression of fatigue - utterly artificial, as he couldn't get tired in this form - and he turned back to the tarpaulin he had been fussing with before Sonic intruded.

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He pulled the plastic sheet away... and was met with a patchwork, mobianoid machine... dented, scraped, scorched... lifeless eyes staring through the floor above lipless, broken steel teeth.

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His old vessel. That he had finally escaped from, after months of rebuilding his new body from scratch.

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He raised his left arm, a thin intrusion device sliding from the forelimb as the fur and flesh surrounding dissolved and returned to its storage capsules beneath the metal exoskeleton. He inserted the spike into the thin neck of the inert machine, partially transferring his intelligence into his original body.

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The single blue eye glowed dimly, as the power pack warmed up and the machine reactivated.

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Now looking through two pairs of eyes, his conscious mind inhabiting both forms, Miles Prower considered with fascination the differences between the battered, clunky form that had become of him months ago, and the fluffy orange fox he had been before.

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"I'm... never going to get used to this..." The fox whispered, looking into that single glowing blue eye.

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The eye flicked between the pair of baby blue ones, the broken steel teeth of the older model briefly grinding as Tails pulsed his mind through the systems.

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_"Not much choice, I guess..."_ Tails replied to himself.

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He winced as he felt the damage done to the other machine, before unplugging himself from his former vessel.

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He looked over the now deactivated unit with disgust, noting its clunkiness and lack of finesse. 

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"See ya..." The fox muttered dryly, "Never wanna be ya again..."

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He replaced the tarpaulin over the inactive robot, and turned away. He had considered scrapping his old body... he didn't need it now his data had been transferred into the improved systems of the Prower Advanced Model 01, but it wouldn't hurt to have a backup... just in case.

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Miles Prower took a deep breath, and pattered away in his red and white sneakers to join his friends. He had a movie night to enjoy, after all.

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And behind him, lifelessy staring through the concrete floor, no more intelligence of its own, the Robotnik Infiltration Unit Alpha-Zero-One was left shrouded in darkness, as the workshop lights flickered off, never to be inhabited again.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this fic! For now... I have plans for a sequel, which I may of may not get around to writing! Thanks to everyone who read and liked this weird idea I had for a sonic fanfic!


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